Outline

Overview

This unit provides broad and interdisciplinary introduction to contemporary Korean society and culture. The unit examines significant events - wars and violence, democratization, and economic reform - in contemporary Korea that have brought the major changes in the society, and explores how these events have affected Korean society and culture. Major topics to be covered include gender, multiculturalism, youth and pop culture, the Korean Wave, language change, and North Korea. In addressing the topics, the students will utilize authentic Korean language materials.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	KRNS3675
Academic unit	Korean Studies
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	KRNS2500 or KRNS2675
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 2000 or 3000 level in Korean Studies or (6 credit points at 2000 or 3000 level in Korean Studies and 6 credit points in 2000 or 3000 level in Asian Studies)
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Benoit Berthelier, benoit.berthelier@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Final Assignment take home assignment	20%	Formal exam period	equivalent to 1000wds
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Tutorial oral presentation online via canvas	20%	Multiple weeks	750 words
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Participation Participation in class and tutorials	10%	Multiple weeks	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Quiz Quiz on the readings assigned and discussed in class	20%	Week 07 Due date: 18 Sep 2022 at 23:59	750 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay n/a	30%	Week 13 Due date: 06 Nov 2022 at 23:59	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

See Canvas for details

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Written work submitted electronically after 11.59 pm on the due date will be considered to have been submitted late. For every calendar day up to and including ten calendar days after the due date, a penalty of 5% of the maximum awardable marks will be applied to late work. The penalty will be calculated by first marking the work, and then subtracting 5% of the maximum awardable mark for each calendar day after the due date. For work submitted more than ten calendar days after the due date a mark of zero will be awarded. The marker may elect to, but is not required to, provide feedback on such work.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Business talk	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	The political development of South Korea	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Distribution of tutorial oral presentation topics	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	The North Korean Famine	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Netizen activism in South Korea / A Taxi Driver (South Korean film by Jang, Hoon, 2017)	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	The South Korean economy and the IMF crisis	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	Human rights and economic sanctions in North Korea / Kanggye Spirit (North Korean short story by Ri Shin-hyŏn, 2001)	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Family and society since the late 1990s	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	The role of conglomerates (Ch’aebŏl) in the Korean economy / Default (South Korean Film by Choi, Kook-hee 2018)	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	Multiculturalism in the Koreas	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Celibacy and dating in South Korea / The Key (North Korean short story by Kim, Hye-sŏng 2001)	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	The Korean diaspora	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	Representation of foreigners in South Korean media / Contemporary ethnonationalism in North and South Korea / Multiculturalism and reunification	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	Queer Koreas	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Dear Pyongyang (Documentary by Yang Yong-hi, 2006) / The Korean diaspora in China / The Korean diaspora in North America	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Colonial Memory in the Contemporary Koreas	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 09	Harisu / Man on High Heels (South Korean film by Jang Jin, 2014) / Homophobia in North and South Korea	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Gender Politics	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	The Flower Girl (North Korean movie by Choe Ik-kyu, 1972) / Politics of apology in East Asia / Modern Boy (South Korean movie by Jung Ji-woo, 2008)	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	Digital Koreas	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	The MeToo movement in South Korea / Feminism in North Korea	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	Social, Economic and Generational Inequality in South Korea	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	Gaming and e-sports in South Korea / Mobile phones in North Korea	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	The Politics of Food	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	Labor activism and movement since the 2000’s / Parasite (South Korean film by Bong Joon-ho, 2019)	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Lecture & Tutorial Schedule with Required and Optional Readings

Week 1	Business talk and introductory lecture
Required reading	No required reading
Optional readings	Cumings, Bruce. (1997). Korea's Place in the Sun: A Modern History, New York, London: W.W. Norton & Co. Chapters 6 to 8.
Presentation topics	Tutorial topic selection

Week 2	The political development of South Korea: A struggle for democracy (DSP)
Required readings	Kil, Soong Hoom. (2001). Development of Korean politics—A historical profile, in Soong Hoom Kil & Chung-In Moon (Eds.), Understanding Korean Politics (pp. 33-69). Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Doucette, Jamie. (2017). The Occult of Personality: Korea's Candlelight Protests and the Impeachment of Park Geun-hye, The Journal of Asian Studies, 76(4), 851-860.
Additional readings	Kim, Sun-Chul. (2016). Introduction, Democratization and Social Movements in South Korea, (pp. 51-61) New York & London: Routledge. Cho, Jung-kwan. (2003). The Kwangju Uprising as a Vehicle of Democratization: A Comparative Perspective, In Gi Wook Shin & Kyung Moon Whang (Eds.) Contentious Kwangju: The May 18 Uprising in Korea's Past and Present (pp. 67-86), New York: Rowman & Littlefield.
Presentation topics	No tutorial

Week 3	The North Korean Famine
Required readings	Haggard, Stephan and Noland, Marcus. (2007). Introduction: Famine, Aid, and Markets in North Korea, In Famine in North Korea: Markets, Aid, and Reform (pp. 1-18), New York: Columbia University Press.
Additional readings	Yu, Chong-Ae. (2007). The Rise and Demise of Industrial Agriculture in North Korea, Journal of Korean Studies 12(1), 75-109. Fahy, Sandra. (2015). The Busy Years, In Marching Through Suffering: Loss and Survival in North Korea (pp. 20-50), New York: Columbia University Press, 2015.
Presentation topics	Commentary: A Taxi Driver (South Korean film by Jang Hoon, 2017) Thematic presentation: Netizen activism in South Korea

Week 4	The South Korean economy and the IMF crisis (DSP)
Required readings	Tcha, MoonJoong and Suh, Chung-Sok. (2003). The Korean economy: Triumphs, difficulties, and triumphs again?, In MoonJoong Tcha and Chung-Sok Suh (Eds.), The Korean Economy at the Crossroads (pp. 1-18), London & New York: Routledge.
Additional readings	Kang, David C. (2002). Bad loans to good friends: Money politics and the developmental state in South Korea, International Organization, 56(1), 177-207 Kim, Seung-kyung. (2002). Living with rhetoric, living against rhetoric: Korean families and the IMF Economic Crisis, Korean Studies, 26(1), 120-139. Lee, Jin-kyung. (2019). Service Economies: Militarism, Sex Work, and Migrant Labor in South Korea, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Presentation topics	Thematic presentation: Human rights and economic sanctions in North Korea Commentary: Kanggye Spirit (Excerpts from a North Korean novel by Ri Shinhyŏn, 2001).

Week 5	Family and society since the late 1990s (DSP)
Required readings	Cho, Uhn. (2005). The encroachment of globalization into intimate life: The flexible Korean family in ‘Economic Crisis’, Korea Journal, 45(3), 8-35.
Additional readings	Ryang, Sonia. (2009). Biopolitics or the logic of sovereign love – Love’s whereabouts in North Korea, In North Korea: Towards a Better Understanding (pp. 57-84), Lanham: Lexington Books. Chang, Pilwha. (2003). Cyberspace and sexuality, Korea Journal, 46(3), 35-60.
Presentation topics	Thematic presentation: The role of conglomerates (Ch’aebŏl) in the Korean economy Commentary: Default (South Korean Film by Choi, Kook-hee 2018)

Week 6	Multiculturalism in the Koreas (DSP)
Required readings	Kim, Nora Hui-Jung. (2012). Multiculturalism and the politics of belonging: the puzzle of multiculturalism in South Korea, Citizenship Studies, 16(1), 103-117.
Additional readings	Lim, Timothy. (2009). Who is Korean? Migration, immigration, and the challenge of multiculturalism in homogenous societies, The Asia-Pacific Journal, 30(1). https://apjjf.org/-Timothy-Lim/3192/article.html Myers, B.R. (2010). Mother Korea and Her Children, The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves – And Why It Matters, New York: Melville House. Jun, EuyRyung. (2014). Tolerance, tamunhwa, and the creating of the new citizens, In John Lie (Ed.) Multiethnic Korea? Multiculturalism, Migration, and Peoplehood Diversity in Contemporary South Korea (pp. 79-94), Berkeley: University of California Press.
Presentation topics	Thematic presentation: Celibacy and dating in South Korea Commentary: The Key (North Korean short story by Kim, Hye-sŏng 2001).

Week 7	The Korean diaspora
Required readings	Armstrong, Charles. (2013). The Korean Diaspora In The Koreas (pp. 62-87), New York & London: Routledge.
Additional readings	Yim, Eunsil. (2013). Confronting Korean identities in post-Soviet Kazakhstan”, in Valerie Gelezeau et al. (eds), De-Bordering Korea : Tangible and Intangible Legacies of the Sunshine Policy (pp. 118-134) New York & London: Routledge, 2013. Chang, Edward Taehan. (2003). Chosonjok Koreans in China, In Amerasia Journal, 29(3) 37-41.
Presentation topics	Thematic presentation: Representation of foreigners in South Korean media Thematic presentation: Contemporary ethnonationalism in North and South Korea Thematic presentation: Multiculturalism and reunification

Week 8	Queer Koreas
Required readings	Na, Tari Young-Jung. (2014). The South Korean Gender System: LGBTI in the Contexts of Family, Legal Identity, and the Military, The Journal of Korean Studies, 19(2), 357-377.
Additional readings	Han, Woori. (2018). Proud of Myself as LGBTQ: The Seoul Pride Parade, Homonationalism, and Queer Developmental Citizenship, Korea Journal (2018), 58(2), 27-57. Ruin. (2020). Mobile Numbers and Gender Transitions: The Resident Registration System, the Nation-State, and Trans/gender Identities in Queer Korea (pp. 357-377). Durham: Duke University Press, 2020. Chung, Jean. (June 5, 2015). North Korean Defector Opens Up About Long-Held Secret: His Homosexuality, The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/06/world/asia/north-korea-defector-jang-yeong-jin-gay.html
Presentation topics	Commentary: Dear Pyongyang (Documentary by Yang Yong-hi, 2006) Thematic presentation: The Korean diaspora in China Thematic presentation: The Korean diaspora in North America

Week 9	Colonial Memory in the Contemporary Koreas
Required readings	Lee, Na Young. (2019). Women’s Redress Movement for Japanese Military Sexual Slavery: Decolonizing History, Reconstituting Subjects, In Kim, Mikyoung (ed), Korean Memories and Psycho-Historical Fragmentation (pp 51-71), Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.
Additional readings	Dudden, Alexis (2008). An Island by Any Other Name, In Troubled Apologies Among Japan, Korea and the United States (pp. 1-30), New York: Columbia University Press. Caprio, Mark. “Investigating Tragedy at Sea - The Ukishima-maru Incident and its Legacy”, European Journal of Korean Studies (2019), 18(2), 81-104.
Presentation topics	Thematic presentation: Harisu Commentary: Man on High Heels (South Korean film by Jang Jin, 2014) Thematic presentation: Homophobia in North and South Korea

Week 10	Gender Politics
Required readings	Kim, Donna Do-own. (2020). Mirroring the Misogynistic Wor(l)d: Civic Imagination and Speech Mirroring Strategy in Korea’s Online Feminist Movement, In Henry Jenkins et al. (eds.), Popular Culture and the Civic Imagination (pp. 152-161), New York: New York University Press. Koo, Se-Woong. (October 6, 2014). Ilbe: South Korea’s Angry Young Men, Korea Exposé, https://www.koreaexpose.com/south-koreas-angry-young-men/
Additional readings	Cho, Uhn. (2013). Gender inequality and patriarchal order recontextualized, In Cho Hee-yeon et al. (eds.), Contemporary South Korean Society: A Critical Perspective (pp. 18-27), New York & London: Routledge. Song, Jee Eun Regina. (2014). The Soybean Paste Girl: The Cultural and Gender Politics of Coffee Consumption in Contemporary South Korea, Journal of Korean Studies, 19(2), 429-448.
Presentation topics	Commentary: The Flower Girl (North Korean movie by Choe Ik-kyu, 1972) Thematic presentation: Politics of apology in East Asia Commentary: Modern Boy (South Korean movie by Jung Ji-woo, 2008)

Week 11	Digital Koreas
Required readings	Jin, Dal Young. (2016). How to Understand the Emergence of Digital Korea, In Kim, Youna (ed.). Routledge Handbook of Korean Culture and Society (pp. 179-192), New York & London: Routledge.
Additional readings	Lee, Kwang-Suk. (2011). Interrogating ‘Digital Korea’: Mobile Phone Tracking and the Spatial Expansion of Labour Control, Media International Australia, 141(1), 107-117. Emma Chanlett-Avery et al. (2017). North Korean Cyber Capabilities: In Brief, Congressional Research Service, https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R44912.pdf Jin, Dal Young (2010). Korea’s Online Gaming Empire, Cambridge, MIT Press.
Presentation topics	Thematic presentation: The MeToo movement in South Korea Thematic presentation: Feminism in North Korea

Week 12	Social, Economic and Generational Inequality in South Korea
Required readings	Kim, Youngmi. (2018). Hell Joseon: Polarization and Social Contention in a Neo-Liberal Age, In Kim, Youngmi (ed.) Korea’s Quest for Economic Democratization: Globalization, Polarization and Contention (pp. 1-9), Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.
Additional readings	Cho, Hae-joang. (2015). The Spec Generation Who Can't Say “No”: Overeducated and Underemployed Youth in Contemporary South Korea, positions east asia cultures critique 23(3), 437-462 Park, Ki-Seong and Shin, Donggyun, (2012), Income polarization and rising social unrest, In Cho, Joonmo et al. (eds.), The Korean Labour Market after the 1997 Economic Crisis (pp. 83-109), New York & London: Routledge, 2012.
Presentation topics	Thematic presentation: Gaming and e-sports in South Korea Thematic presentation: Mobile phones in North Korea

Week	The Politics of Food
Required readings	Our Fragrance (North Korean film by Jon Jong Pal, 2003) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtuXVFPcAHE
Additional readings	Moon, Okpyo. (2010). Dining Elegance and Authenticity: Archaeology of Royal Court Cuisine in Korea, Korea Journal 50(1), 36-59.
Presentation topics	Thematic presentation: Labor activism and movement since the 2000’s Commentary: Parasite (South Korean film by Bong Joon-ho, 2019)

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Understand crucial events and issues in contemporary North and South Korea
LO2. Learn new concepts and theoretical frameworks to analyze society, identities and power
LO3. Analyze the relationship between a cultural product and its social context
LO4. Conduct research, weigh evidence and work critically with primary and secondary sources
LO5. Structure an academic essay and write clearly and concisely to make persuasive arguments
LO6. Develop oral presentation skills and learn to communicate ideas effectively

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered

Disclaimer

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To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

KRNS3675: Contemporary Korean Society and Culture

Semester 2, 2022 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect