The Making of Modern Korea

This course will introduce students to the history of Korea from 1800 to the present with an emphasis on modernity, gender, war and capitalism. Using primary sources, literary works, documentary, and film, we will explore such topics as: the genealogy of modern Korean nationalism through peasant and aristocratic rebellions in the 19th century; the tangled relationship between Korea and Japan during the period of Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945); how North Korea became communist and specifically women in the creation of North Korea; the scars of the Korean War (1950-53); counter-cultural movements in 1970s and 80s South Korea; and contemporary challenges facing South and North Korea. This course will give students a thorough grounding in Korean history, and introduce them to major interpretative currents in the study of Korean history.