Korean Major

Students interested in or who have questions about our Korean Major or Minor should contact Stephen Luft. 

Students that major in Korean will acquire knowledge about Korean culture and history and a comprehensive training in the Korean language. The non-language courses will allow students to study Korean cultural history, traditional and modern literature, creative and performing arts (including film), as well as contemporary Korean popular culture. The language course will provide students with training in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in the Korean language in ways that lead to successful intercultural communication.

Language Courses

Language Courses

The following courses are required:

KOREAN 0003- Second Year Korean 1

Minimum Credits: 4
Maximum Credits: 4
The first term of the second year will concentrate on the further development of fluency in oral production and the improvement in the student’s ability to understand the flow of speech as uttered by a native speaker. Increased attention will be paid to reading as a means of augmenting a recognition vocabulary and writing as a drill and as a means of consolidating and communicating the knowledge gained.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Requirements: PREQ: KOREAN 0002 or 1002; MIN GRADE: ‘C-’ FOR LISTED COURSES
Course Attributes: Asian Studies

KOREAN 0004- Second Year Korean 2

Minimum Credits: 4
Maximum Credits: 4
At the end of the second term of the second year the student should be able to converse comfortably with a native speaker on a variety of non-specialized subjects. The student will be offered an opportunity to experience and more fully understand the culture of the people who use the language through readings of various types. More complex writing tasks will be expected at this level.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Requirements: PREQ: KOREAN 0003 or 1003; MIN GRADE: ‘C-’ FOR LISTED COURSES
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Second Language General Ed. Requirement

KOREAN 0005- Third Year Korean 1

Minimum Credits: 4
Maximum Credits: 4
Students will build on previously learned material and learn increasingly complex grammar patterns and build more sophisticated vocabulary for everyday interactions in all learning skill areas: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Will read texts that focus on Korean society and history.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Requirements: PREQ: KOREAN 0004 or 1004; MIN GRADE: ‘C-’ FOR LISTED COURSES
Course Attributes: Asian Studies

KOREAN 0006 - Third Year Korean 2

Minimum Credits: 4
Maximum Credits: 4
Students will build on previously learned material and learn increasingly complex grammar patterns and build more sophisticated vocabulary suitable for everyday interactions, and apply them in all language skill areas (speaking, listening, reading, and writing). By reading texts that focus on Korean society and history, students will learn some representative aspects of Korean culture. Approximately two hours per week to develop aural/oral skills using a communicative method.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Requirements: PREQ: KOREAN 0005 or KOREAN 1005; MIN GRADE: ‘C-’ FOR LISTED COURSES
Course Attributes: Asian Studies

Advanced Language Course

Choose one of the following courses:

KOREAN 1050- Fourth Year Korean 1

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Designed to advance students to greater strengths in reading and writing skills and socio-cultural knowledge of Korean beyond high intermediate level. Students will develop skills in reading and listening to various authentic materials, and enhance speaking and writing skills to discuss issues of contemporary Korean society and culture. The goals of the course also include furthering aural comprehension of contemporary television documentaries, news and drama with decreased reliance on pedagogical aids. This course is student centered and students will develop their knowledge of Korean lexicon (including Chinese characters of Sino-Korean) and grammar through their own readings/writings and class discussions. Students will write short research papers throughout the semester. Class will be conducted in Korean exclusively, and uses a combination of lectures and discussions. Both lectures and discussions are based on assigned readings and discussion topics that will be distributed through bi-weekly schedules.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Requirements: PREQ: KOREAN 0006 or 1006 (MIN GRADE ‘C-‘)

KOREAN 1053- Advanced Writing Through Reading

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
The course aims to improve Korean writing skills in academic/formal settings for second/foreign language learners of Korean and/or heritage Korean speakers through reading diverse types of texts. Students who have finished Third Year Korean 2 or have an equivalent proficiency are eligible to register. This course introduces seven writing modules, each of which holds a goal of writing one academic/formal essay at the end. For the goal, students are required to read two reading passages under one topic for each module and various activities on reading (e.g., drawing a structure tree, summarization, paraphrasing, critical analysis) and writing (e.g., practicing diverse expressions, brainstorming, writing a draft, peer-review, revision) will be covered. Through this course, learners are expected to develop language skills, build their understanding on various social/cultural issues in Korea, and strengthen their knowledge on academic/formal Korean. The instructor will use Korean as much as possible, and the use of English will be minimal. Students are expected to use Korean in class.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Requirements: PREQ: 

Introduction to Korean Culture and Civilization

KOREAN 0007- Introduction to Korean Culture and Civilization

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SU3 Elective Basis
Course Attributes: DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Historical Analysis General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req., SCI Polymathic Contexts: Soc/Behav. GE. Req.

1000-Level EALL Culture Course

1000-Level EALL Culture Courses

At least one Korean Culture course must be numbered 1000 or above.

KOREAN 1023- Aspects of the Korean Language

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course will examine and explore essential topics in Korean linguistics such as the Korean scripts and sounds, genetic affiliation, historical development, word structure, grammatical structure, discourse, honorific and speech styles, and first/second language acquisition. Upon completion of this course, students will i) understand how the Korean language developed, and what kind of relationship the Korean language has with other languages, ii) have an ability to critically analyze basic word, phrasal and sentence structures as well as discourse structures, iii) have a general understanding of how the Korean language works as a communication system.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Requirements: PREQ: KOREAN 0002
Course Attributes: DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

KOREAN 1024- Sounds of the Korean Language

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course introduces students to the phonetic and phonological study of the Korean language. Students will learn basics of Korean phonetics and phonology and their application in their Korean pronunciation and understanding of sounds of Korean and languages in general. The topics include historical change of the Korean sounds, invention of Korean alphabet, linguistic terms, consonants & vowels, syllable structure, phonological changes, sound symbolism, loanword phonology, and interlanguage phonology. At the end of the semester, students will command better production of Korean sounds through both knowledge and training. They are also expected to produce a paper based on theoretical knowledge they gained throughout the semester. Last, students who desire to continue theoretical research on Korean phonetics and phonology will benefit from descriptive analyses and basic conceptual framework of the Korean sounds from this course. Each week’s classes will consist of a combination of lectures and student practice/discussions/presentations. All readings are in English.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Requirements: PREQ: KOREAN 0002

KOREAN 1044- The Chinese Writing System in East Asia

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
The Chinese script is presumed to be difficult to the untrained eye, but much of the myth lies in misunderstandings or misinformation. The course will introduce students to the Chinese writing system through historical and applied linguistic perspectives, and it will provide opportunities of discussion on how the Chinese script influences topics in anthropology, arts, education, and politics in the East Asian region. Students will gain foundational knowledge regarding the linguistic features of the Chinese writing system, including its historical development, acquire an insight into the cultural aspect of the script, and be challenged to apply such knowledge to make critical inquiries on the relationship between the writing system and literacy development, cognitive science, visual arts, and society.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

KOREAN 1060- Language and Society in Korea

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Focus on fundamental knowledge of sociolinguistics, language variations, varieties and codes of inherent sociality cultural implements. With substantial differences between eastern and Western cultures, students will study linguistic behavior and social groups, social class, effects of gender, address and reference terms, politeness strategies and style of language form used both in English and Korean in comparative study. Materials arranged to explain and evaluate the interaction of language, society and culture, the process of how people use language to construct social meaning and how those processes influence linguistic structure as well as cross-cultural communication.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

KOREAN 1070- World of Korea

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This Special Topics course explores various topics related to the political, economic, and cultural developments in modern Korea. Topics include, but are not limited to, colonial rule and its legacy (colonial modernity), the Korean War (and the division system), military rule, state-led economic development, the democratization movement, gendered modernity, Korean diaspora, segehwa (or globalization), multiculturalism, new media culture, and hallyu (or Korean Wave). Topics may be explored using a variety of sources, including texts selected from a variety of different fields such as history, culture, and arts (literature, theater, music and film). Students are expected to develop skills in situating the questions at hand within broader contexts such as East Asia and the Pacific Rim.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

KOREAN 1080- Contemporary Korean Culture

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course aims to help the students achieve in-depth understanding of major cultural developments in Korean society in the past two decades or so. To that end, this course is arranged around some questions intimately tied to recent changes in Korean society such as (re)construction and consumption of tradition, collective traumas and unfinished mourning, political activism in the postauthoritarian era, post-division imagination, the hallyu-new media nexus, sports-sexuality-nationalism, Korean cuisine, homogeneity to multiculturalism, queer Korea, Korean diaspora, and North Korea in transition. This course will examine these issues from various angles by engaging with a wide range of fields and diverse forms of texts such as literature, theater, music, cinema, TV show, new media, food, and sports. Thereby, this course seeks to help the students gain more competence in comparative and interdisciplinary analysis of our culture. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: -Show solid knowledge of major issues in contemporary Korean culture. -Demonstrate increased awareness of the diversity of human societies and cultures. -Exhibit the skills of close reading, critical analysis, and interdisciplinary approach. -Demonstrate the ability to identify engaging research topics, find secondary sources for those questions, and produce well-grounded and original arguments.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: Letter Grade
Course Attributes: DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Diversity General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, SCI Diversity General Ed. Requirements, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

KOREAN 1082- Korean Literature

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course explores the development of modern Korean literature through the works of major writers from the early twentieth century to the present. Students will first identify idiosyncratic themes and styles in their works. For a deeper understanding, students will be guided to situate literary questions within the nation’s turbulent history of colonization, national division, violent conflicts, compressed modernity and rapid globalization. Major topics explored include colonial modernity, minjok (national) literature, nativist (hyangto) literature, leftist literature, modernist sensibilities, division literature, postwar writing, resistance literature (under military rule), posttrauma narrative, women writers, labor literature, multiculturalism, queer Korea, and voices of Korean diaspora. This course also deals with various forms of writing to probe diverse voices in Korean society, for which his course engages with diverse forms of storytelling from traditional ones such as poetry, novel and play to overlooked or new popular genres such as detective story, mystery, fantasy, graphic novels, and webtoons.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

KOREAN 1085- Introduction to East Asian Cinema

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course investigates the ways in which film addresses and treats the major socio-cultural issues in modern society through a critical study of the works of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean master filmmakers. The course focuses on changes in marriage and family patterns, women’s roles and the plight of youth.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

KOREAN 1086- New Media Culture in Korea

 

KOREAN 1088- Korean Cinema

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course understands Korean cinema as a valuable venue for critical engagement in discussion of various sociocultural questions. The topics and texts for this course also invite reflection on the complex ways in which local film and media intersect with transnational flows. Issues explored in this course include Korean film history (from the silent era to the present), genre auteurism (in association with reinvention of popular genres like melodrama, horror, comedy, romance, period drama, Manchurian Westerns, K-zombie, revenge story, jopok/gangster films, courtroom drama, action/adventure films, animation, and fantasy), major directors, independent films, documentary, women’s films, queer cinema, spectatorship, stardom, new media, film sound, post-trauma films, unban-myth films, K-dystopia (death game drama, disaster films, postapocalyptic tales), Korean diaspora, and North Korean cinema. Weekly activities include lecture, film viewing, discussion, weekly review, research paper, and student presentation. All films are English-subtitled, and all readings are in English.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

KOREAN 1700- Theory and Practice of Translation

 

EALL Culture Courses

EALL Culture Courses

Students choose two additional Korean culture courses from EALL

KOREAN 0023- Korean Language: Then and Now

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
The primary goal of this course is to offer a basic level linguistic and historical knowledge of the Korean language to students with no background or knowledge in Korean. Also, the course introduces the language within a broader context of culture and history of Asian languages. The course covers 1) the origin and history, 2) relationship with other Asian languages: Chinese, Japanese, and Dravidian in particular, 3) creation and development of the alphabet Han.kul, 4) sounds and their diachronic and synchronic changes, 5) basic structures and socio-cultural aspects, and 6) political and geographical dialects of the Korean language. At the end of the semester, students are expected to gain an introductory linguistic and historical knowledge of the Korean language for their further studies in the Korean language and linguistics.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

KOREAN 0075- Introduction to Korea Through Films

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Introduces Korean cinema to students in broader (and at times narrow) cultural, social, and aesthetic contexts to investigate transnational media production and circulation, globalization, consumer culture, commercialization, and construction of national, ethnic and gender identities. Through this course, students will learn more about specific issues pertaining to Korea and its people, as well as gain familiarity with some prominent film directors of Korea’s. They will develop a critical and historical consciousness of Korean visual culture, assessing the worth and content of the films.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, Film Studies, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

KOREAN 1023- Aspects of the Korean Language

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course will examine and explore essential topics in Korean linguistics such as the Korean scripts and sounds, genetic affiliation, historical development, word structure, grammatical structure, discourse, honorific and speech styles, and first/second language acquisition. Upon completion of this course, students will i) understand how the Korean language developed, and what kind of relationship the Korean language has with other languages, ii) have an ability to critically analyze basic word, phrasal and sentence structures as well as discourse structures, iii) have a general understanding of how the Korean language works as a communication system.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Requirements: PREQ: KOREAN 0002
Course Attributes: DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

KOREAN 1024- Sounds of the Korean Language

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course introduces students to the phonetic and phonological study of the Korean language. Students will learn basics of Korean phonetics and phonology and their application in their Korean pronunciation and understanding of sounds of Korean and languages in general. The topics include historical change of the Korean sounds, invention of Korean alphabet, linguistic terms, consonants & vowels, syllable structure, phonological changes, sound symbolism, loanword phonology, and interlanguage phonology. At the end of the semester, students will command better production of Korean sounds through both knowledge and training. They are also expected to produce a paper based on theoretical knowledge they gained throughout the semester. Last, students who desire to continue theoretical research on Korean phonetics and phonology will benefit from descriptive analyses and basic conceptual framework of the Korean sounds from this course. Each week’s classes will consist of a combination of lectures and student practice/discussions/presentations. All readings are in English.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Requirements: PREQ: KOREAN 0002

KOREAN 1044- The Chinese Writing System in East Asia

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
The Chinese script is presumed to be difficult to the untrained eye, but much of the myth lies in misunderstandings or misinformation. The course will introduce students to the Chinese writing system through historical and applied linguistic perspectives, and it will provide opportunities of discussion on how the Chinese script influences topics in anthropology, arts, education, and politics in the East Asian region. Students will gain foundational knowledge regarding the linguistic features of the Chinese writing system, including its historical development, acquire an insight into the cultural aspect of the script, and be challenged to apply such knowledge to make critical inquiries on the relationship between the writing system and literacy development, cognitive science, visual arts, and society.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

KOREAN 1060- Language and Society in Korea

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Focus on fundamental knowledge of sociolinguistics, language variations, varieties and codes of inherent sociality cultural implements. With substantial differences between eastern and Western cultures, students will study linguistic behavior and social groups, social class, effects of gender, address and reference terms, politeness strategies and style of language form used both in English and Korean in comparative study. Materials arranged to explain and evaluate the interaction of language, society and culture, the process of how people use language to construct social meaning and how those processes influence linguistic structure as well as cross-cultural communication.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

KOREAN 1070- World of Korea

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This Special Topics course explores various topics related to the political, economic, and cultural developments in modern Korea. Topics include, but are not limited to, colonial rule and its legacy (colonial modernity), the Korean War (and the division system), military rule, state-led economic development, the democratization movement, gendered modernity, Korean diaspora, segehwa (or globalization), multiculturalism, new media culture, and hallyu (or Korean Wave). Topics may be explored using a variety of sources, including texts selected from a variety of different fields such as history, culture, and arts (literature, theater, music and film). Students are expected to develop skills in situating the questions at hand within broader contexts such as East Asia and the Pacific Rim.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

KOREAN 1080- Contemporary Korean Culture

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course aims to help the students achieve in-depth understanding of major cultural developments in Korean society in the past two decades or so. To that end, this course is arranged around some questions intimately tied to recent changes in Korean society such as (re)construction and consumption of tradition, collective traumas and unfinished mourning, political activism in the postauthoritarian era, post-division imagination, the hallyu-new media nexus, sports-sexuality-nationalism, Korean cuisine, homogeneity to multiculturalism, queer Korea, Korean diaspora, and North Korea in transition. This course will examine these issues from various angles by engaging with a wide range of fields and diverse forms of texts such as literature, theater, music, cinema, TV show, new media, food, and sports. Thereby, this course seeks to help the students gain more competence in comparative and interdisciplinary analysis of our culture. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: -Show solid knowledge of major issues in contemporary Korean culture. -Demonstrate increased awareness of the diversity of human societies and cultures. -Exhibit the skills of close reading, critical analysis, and interdisciplinary approach. -Demonstrate the ability to identify engaging research topics, find secondary sources for those questions, and produce well-grounded and original arguments.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: Letter Grade
Course Attributes: DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Diversity General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, SCI Diversity General Ed. Requirements, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

KOREAN 1082- Korean Literature

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course explores the development of modern Korean literature through the works of major writers from the early twentieth century to the present. Students will first identify idiosyncratic themes and styles in their works. For a deeper understanding, students will be guided to situate literary questions within the nation’s turbulent history of colonization, national division, violent conflicts, compressed modernity and rapid globalization. Major topics explored include colonial modernity, minjok (national) literature, nativist (hyangto) literature, leftist literature, modernist sensibilities, division literature, postwar writing, resistance literature (under military rule), posttrauma narrative, women writers, labor literature, multiculturalism, queer Korea, and voices of Korean diaspora. This course also deals with various forms of writing to probe diverse voices in Korean society, for which his course engages with diverse forms of storytelling from traditional ones such as poetry, novel and play to overlooked or new popular genres such as detective story, mystery, fantasy, graphic novels, and webtoons.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

KOREAN 1085- Introduction to East Asian Cinema

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course investigates the ways in which film addresses and treats the major socio-cultural issues in modern society through a critical study of the works of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean master filmmakers. The course focuses on changes in marriage and family patterns, women’s roles and the plight of youth.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

KOREAN 1086- New Media Culture in Korea

 

KOREAN 1088- Korean Cinema

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course understands Korean cinema as a valuable venue for critical engagement in discussion of various sociocultural questions. The topics and texts for this course also invite reflection on the complex ways in which local film and media intersect with transnational flows. Issues explored in this course include Korean film history (from the silent era to the present), genre auteurism (in association with reinvention of popular genres like melodrama, horror, comedy, romance, period drama, Manchurian Westerns, K-zombie, revenge story, jopok/gangster films, courtroom drama, action/adventure films, animation, and fantasy), major directors, independent films, documentary, women’s films, queer cinema, spectatorship, stardom, new media, film sound, post-trauma films, unban-myth films, K-dystopia (death game drama, disaster films, postapocalyptic tales), Korean diaspora, and North Korean cinema. Weekly activities include lecture, film viewing, discussion, weekly review, research paper, and student presentation. All films are English-subtitled, and all readings are in English.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

KOREAN 1700- Theory and Practice of Translation

 

EALL/Non-EALL Culture Courses

EALL/Non-EALL Culture Courses

Students choose two additional Korean culture courses, which may include courses from outside of EALL. 

KOREAN 1023- Aspects of the Korean Language

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course will examine and explore essential topics in Korean linguistics such as the Korean scripts and sounds, genetic affiliation, historical development, word structure, grammatical structure, discourse, honorific and speech styles, and first/second language acquisition. Upon completion of this course, students will i) understand how the Korean language developed, and what kind of relationship the Korean language has with other languages, ii) have an ability to critically analyze basic word, phrasal and sentence structures as well as discourse structures, iii) have a general understanding of how the Korean language works as a communication system.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Requirements: PREQ: KOREAN 0002
Course Attributes: DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

KOREAN 0075- Introduction to Korea Through Films

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Introduces Korean cinema to students in broader (and at times narrow) cultural, social, and aesthetic contexts to investigate transnational media production and circulation, globalization, consumer culture, commercialization, and construction of national, ethnic and gender identities. Through this course, students will learn more about specific issues pertaining to Korea and its people, as well as gain familiarity with some prominent film directors of Korea’s. They will develop a critical and historical consciousness of Korean visual culture, assessing the worth and content of the films.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, Film Studies, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

KOREAN 1023- Aspects of the Korean Language

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course will examine and explore essential topics in Korean linguistics such as the Korean scripts and sounds, genetic affiliation, historical development, word structure, grammatical structure, discourse, honorific and speech styles, and first/second language acquisition. Upon completion of this course, students will i) understand how the Korean language developed, and what kind of relationship the Korean language has with other languages, ii) have an ability to critically analyze basic word, phrasal and sentence structures as well as discourse structures, iii) have a general understanding of how the Korean language works as a communication system.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Requirements: PREQ: KOREAN 0002
Course Attributes: DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

KOREAN 1024-Sounds of the Korean Language

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course introduces students to the phonetic and phonological study of the Korean language. Students will learn basics of Korean phonetics and phonology and their application in their Korean pronunciation and understanding of sounds of Korean and languages in general. The topics include historical change of the Korean sounds, invention of Korean alphabet, linguistic terms, consonants & vowels, syllable structure, phonological changes, sound symbolism, loanword phonology, and interlanguage phonology. At the end of the semester, students will command better production of Korean sounds through both knowledge and training. They are also expected to produce a paper based on theoretical knowledge they gained throughout the semester. Last, students who desire to continue theoretical research on Korean phonetics and phonology will benefit from descriptive analyses and basic conceptual framework of the Korean sounds from this course. Each week’s classes will consist of a combination of lectures and student practice/discussions/presentations. All readings are in English.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Requirements: PREQ: KOREAN 0002

KOREAN 1044- The Chinese Writing System in East Asia

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
The Chinese script is presumed to be difficult to the untrained eye, but much of the myth lies in misunderstandings or misinformation. The course will introduce students to the Chinese writing system through historical and applied linguistic perspectives, and it will provide opportunities of discussion on how the Chinese script influences topics in anthropology, arts, education, and politics in the East Asian region. Students will gain foundational knowledge regarding the linguistic features of the Chinese writing system, including its historical development, acquire an insight into the cultural aspect of the script, and be challenged to apply such knowledge to make critical inquiries on the relationship between the writing system and literacy development, cognitive science, visual arts, and society.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

KOREAN 1060- Language and Society in Korea

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Focus on fundamental knowledge of sociolinguistics, language variations, varieties and codes of inherent sociality cultural implements. With substantial differences between eastern and Western cultures, students will study linguistic behavior and social groups, social class, effects of gender, address and reference terms, politeness strategies and style of language form used both in English and Korean in comparative study. Materials arranged to explain and evaluate the interaction of language, society and culture, the process of how people use language to construct social meaning and how those processes influence linguistic structure as well as cross-cultural communication.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

KOREAN 1070- World of Korea

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This Special Topics course explores various topics related to the political, economic, and cultural developments in modern Korea. Topics include, but are not limited to, colonial rule and its legacy (colonial modernity), the Korean War (and the division system), military rule, state-led economic development, the democratization movement, gendered modernity, Korean diaspora, segehwa (or globalization), multiculturalism, new media culture, and hallyu (or Korean Wave). Topics may be explored using a variety of sources, including texts selected from a variety of different fields such as history, culture, and arts (literature, theater, music and film). Students are expected to develop skills in situating the questions at hand within broader contexts such as East Asia and the Pacific Rim.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

KOREAN 1080- Contemporary Korean Culture

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course aims to help the students achieve in-depth understanding of major cultural developments in Korean society in the past two decades or so. To that end, this course is arranged around some questions intimately tied to recent changes in Korean society such as (re)construction and consumption of tradition, collective traumas and unfinished mourning, political activism in the postauthoritarian era, post-division imagination, the hallyu-new media nexus, sports-sexuality-nationalism, Korean cuisine, homogeneity to multiculturalism, queer Korea, Korean diaspora, and North Korea in transition. This course will examine these issues from various angles by engaging with a wide range of fields and diverse forms of texts such as literature, theater, music, cinema, TV show, new media, food, and sports. Thereby, this course seeks to help the students gain more competence in comparative and interdisciplinary analysis of our culture. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: -Show solid knowledge of major issues in contemporary Korean culture. -Demonstrate increased awareness of the diversity of human societies and cultures. -Exhibit the skills of close reading, critical analysis, and interdisciplinary approach. -Demonstrate the ability to identify engaging research topics, find secondary sources for those questions, and produce well-grounded and original arguments.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: Letter Grade
Course Attributes: DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Diversity General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, SCI Diversity General Ed. Requirements, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

KOREAN 1082- Korean Literature

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course explores the development of modern Korean literature through the works of major writers from the early twentieth century to the present. Students will first identify idiosyncratic themes and styles in their works. For a deeper understanding, students will be guided to situate literary questions within the nation’s turbulent history of colonization, national division, violent conflicts, compressed modernity and rapid globalization. Major topics explored include colonial modernity, minjok (national) literature, nativist (hyangto) literature, leftist literature, modernist sensibilities, division literature, postwar writing, resistance literature (under military rule), posttrauma narrative, women writers, labor literature, multiculturalism, queer Korea, and voices of Korean diaspora. This course also deals with various forms of writing to probe diverse voices in Korean society, for which his course engages with diverse forms of storytelling from traditional ones such as poetry, novel and play to overlooked or new popular genres such as detective story, mystery, fantasy, graphic novels, and webtoons.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

KOREAN 1085- Introduction to East Asian Cinema

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course investigates the ways in which film addresses and treats the major socio-cultural issues in modern society through a critical study of the works of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean master filmmakers. The course focuses on changes in marriage and family patterns, women’s roles and the plight of youth.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

KOREAN 1086- New Media Culture in Korea

 

KOREAN 1088- Korean Cinema

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course understands Korean cinema as a valuable venue for critical engagement in discussion of various sociocultural questions. The topics and texts for this course also invite reflection on the complex ways in which local film and media intersect with transnational flows. Issues explored in this course include Korean film history (from the silent era to the present), genre auteurism (in association with reinvention of popular genres like melodrama, horror, comedy, romance, period drama, Manchurian Westerns, K-zombie, revenge story, jopok/gangster films, courtroom drama, action/adventure films, animation, and fantasy), major directors, independent films, documentary, women’s films, queer cinema, spectatorship, stardom, new media, film sound, post-trauma films, unban-myth films, K-dystopia (death game drama, disaster films, postapocalyptic tales), Korean diaspora, and North Korean cinema. Weekly activities include lecture, film viewing, discussion, weekly review, research paper, and student presentation. All films are English-subtitled, and all readings are in English.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

KOREAN 1700- Theory and Practice of Translation

 

ANTH 1734- Gender in East Asia

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course focuses on gender in East Asia, particularly in Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean society. Materials from Hong Kong and Taiwan will be included. The course is broadly comparative, and raises questions about the similarities and differences in gender roles and meanings within this vast and diverse region. Key themes include gender and work, sexuality, religion, and family. The primary focus is on contemporary East Asia, and on recent change.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Diversity General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Social Science General Ed. Requirement, Gender, Sexuality & Women’s St, SCI Diversity General Ed. Requirements, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req., SCI Polymathic Contexts: Soc/Behav. GE. Req.

ENGFLM 1420- Transnational East Asian Cinemas

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This survey course comparatively studies the forms and histories of East Asian cinemas in the context of transnationalism, post-colonialism, regionalism, and globalization. This course, therefore, will explore the transnational connections among different film cultures in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea. This is a Critical Studies course and counts for Category I towards the Film and Media Studies major and minor.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Diversity General Ed. Requirement, SCI Diversity General Ed. Requirements, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

HAA 0020- Introduction to Asian Art

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This base level survey is meant, on the one hand, to introduce the student to the arts of Japan, China, and India and on the other, to teach some fundamental techniques of visual analysis. The course considers the development of Chinese bronzes, Chinese Buddhist sculpture, Indian Hindu and Buddhist sculptures, and Japanese temples, sculptures, and paintings.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS The Arts General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req., SCI Polymathic Contexts: Humanistic GE. Req.

HIST 0400- East Asian Civilization to 1800

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course introduces major themes in the history of East Asia. It analyzes the relationships between East Asian thought systems; political, economic, and social institutions; and foreign influences for the purpose of understanding the forces that shaped the East Asian tradition. The course focuses on how this distinctive tradition produced two very different societies in China and Japan.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Historical Analysis General Ed. Requirement, Medieval & Renaissance Studies, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req., SCI Polymathic Contexts: Soc/Behav. GE. Req.

HIST 0401- Modern East Asian Civilization

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This survey of Chinese and Japanese history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries compares and contrasts the development of these two East Asian nations through a format that includes lectures, discussions, films, and readings.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Historical Analysis General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req., SCI Polymathic Contexts: Soc/Behav. GE. Req.

HIST 0475- Religion and Culture in East Asia

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Words have consequences. How a society defines “religion” and “culture” have much to say about how they balance individual freedom and collective responsibility. This course focuses on how religion has been and is practiced in East Asia in modern and contemporary times. We begin with an overview of the major religions in the region (e.g., Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, Shinto, folk traditions), and examine various themes to help us learn how religion influences the lives of individuals and the wider societies in which they live. Themes dealt with include the relationship between religion and politics and law; nationalism, terrorism, and secularization; gender, sexuality, and the family; healing, the environment, and ethical behavior; and the life cycle and ritual calendar year. By looking at how these issues unfold in modern China and Japan and at their global significance enable us to better understand how religion shapes our world.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

HIST 04887- World War II in Asia

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
The history of the war, 1937-1945, between Japan on the one hand and China, the United States, the soviet union and great Britain on the other. The course stresses the ideological, economic, political, social, diplomatic and military forces in those five countries, and how these forces led to a disastrous war beginning in the late 1930s. The course concludes with a discussion of the allied occupation of Japan and Japan’s postwar recovery.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Historical Analysis General Ed. Requirement, Global Studies, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req., SCI Polymathic Contexts: Soc/Behav. GE. Req.

HIST 0755- Religion in Asia

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course serves as an introduction to the major religious traditions of South and East Asia. During the course of the semester, we encounter Hinduism and Jainism; the native Confucian, Daoist (Taoist), and popular traditions of China; and the Shinto, folk and new religions of Japan. Buddhism, which originated in India but later spread to East Asia, is examined in its relation to the history of both Chinese and Japanese religions. We approach these traditions through lectures and discussion based on Chinese classical and popular literature, secondary scholarship, and films, which inform us about cultural and historical context, beliefs, practices, and personal experience. In the process we expect to learn something about the ways in which non-Western religious traditions see themselves and their world on their own terms, and to see how/if they can complement our own worldviews.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

HIST 1446= East Asian Political Economy, 1950- Present

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This upper-level course compares the political, economic, and social development of East Asian societies over the past three generations, with a focus on Japan, South Korea, and greater China. It focuses on the political circumstances that have taken each country down the path it has taken, and how these paths now shape the future prospects of each country as well as of East Asia as a region. The first half of the course will focus on country-specific historical studies, tracing the development path each country has taken in the post-war period. Some common themes repeat themselves in each of the country case studies: the role of the state, the interaction between domestic and international factors, the relationship between bureaucrats and politicians, and the development of various institutions. Other topics and readings highlight national specificities, revealing unique circumstances that differentiate the experiences of one country form another. The second half of the course will focus on common themes and contemporary challenges shared by countries in East Asia including, but not limited to, rapidly aging populations, industrialization and green technology, competition for energy sources and commodities, and food security.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Historical Analysis General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req., SCI Polymathic Contexts: Soc/Behav. GE. Req.

HIST 1475- East Asian Buddhism

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
The transmission of Buddhism to East Asia was a momentous development in the history of world cultures and religions. Not only did it precipitate major changes in the cultures of China, Korea and Japan, it also was attended by transformations within Buddhism itself. Beginning with an introduction to the basic concepts of Buddhism, this course examines the major doctrinal, meditative, devotional, and institutional traditions and themes within Chinese and Japanese Buddhism in historical perspective. Particular attention is paid to the problems of transmission of thought and practices from one culture to another and to the ways in which Buddhism changed to meet those challenges and make itself relevant to the members of East Asian societies. We strive to develop an awareness of how Chinese and Japanese Buddhism interacted with and helped to shape East Asian history as well as to cultivate sensitivity to and appreciation of East Asian Buddhism as a contribution to our understanding of the human experience
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

PS 1326- East Asian Political Economy 1950- Present

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Historical Analysis General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req., SCI Polymathic Contexts: Soc/Behav. GE. Req.

RELGST 0505- Religion in Asia

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course serves as an introduction to the major religious traditions of South and East Asia. During the course of the semester, we encounter Hinduism and Jainism; the native Confucian, Daoist (Taoist), and popular traditions of China; and the Shinto, folk and new religions of Japan. Buddhism, which originated in India but later spread to East Asia, is examined in its relation to the history of both Chinese and Japanese religions. We approach these traditions through lectures and discussion based on Chinese classical and popular literature, secondary scholarship, and films, which inform us about cultural and historical context, beliefs, practices, and personal experience. In the process we expect to learn something about the ways in which non-Western religious traditions see themselves and their world on their own terms, and to see how/if they can complement our own worldviews.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

RELGST 0525- Religion and Culture in East Asia

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Words have consequences. How a society defines “religion” and “culture” have much to say about how they balance individual freedom and collective responsibility. This course focuses on how religion has been and is practiced in East Asia in modern and contemporary times. We begin with an overview of the major religions in the region (e.g., Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, Shinto, folk traditions), and examine various themes to help us learn how religion influences the lives of individuals and the wider societies in which they live. Themes dealt with include the relationship between religion and politics and law; nationalism, terrorism, and secularization; gender, sexuality, and the family; healing, the environment, and ethical behavior; and the life cycle and ritual calendar year. By looking at how these issues unfold in modern China and Japan and at their global significance enable us to better understand how religion shapes our world.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

RELGST 1550- East Asian Buddhism

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
The transmission of Buddhism to East Asia was a momentous development in the history of world cultures and religions. Not only did it precipitate major changes in the cultures of China, Korea and Japan, it also was attended by transformations within Buddhism itself. Beginning with an introduction to the basic concepts of Buddhism, this course examines the major doctrinal, meditative, devotional, and institutional traditions and themes within Chinese and Japanese Buddhism in historical perspective. Particular attention is paid to the problems of transmission of thought and practices from one culture to another and to the ways in which Buddhism changed to meet those challenges and make itself relevant to the members of East Asian societies. We strive to develop an awareness of how Chinese and Japanese Buddhism interacted with and helped to shape East Asian history as well as to cultivate sensitivity to and appreciation of East Asian Buddhism as a contribution to our understanding of the human experience.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: Asian Studies, DSAS Cross-Cult. Awareness General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

 

Directed Writing

Directed Writing

Students must take Directed Writing in conjunction with another KOREAN course that has a significant English language writing component

KOREAN 1908- Directed Writing

Capstone Project

Capstone Project

Student must complete the Capstone Project Course: KOREAN 1999- Capstone Project