In less than a hundred years, Korea has managed to turn from an isolated traditional kingdom to one of the leaders in world technology. In this process, Korea has undergone much turbulence. In the nineteen century, the encounter with the West raised internal disagreement between those who promoted renewal and change, and those who preferred maintaining the “old ways”. Later, Korea was colonized by Japan and went through a process of forced Japanization, to which many opposed. The independence in 1945 was followed by internal war and division into two entities, North and South Korea, which are governed by two contrasting ideologies. Analysis of contemporary Korea enables tracing the consequences of those processes in the daily life perspective, main values, and the arts.
In the course we will discuss the culture of North Korea, in which worship of the leader, separation from the rest of the world, and a unique socialistic ideology have become the center of people’s life. In studying South Korea we will discuss its political life, arts, religion, gender, media, education, Internet, consumption culture, and fashion.