INQ-277 | Korea's Modern Trajectory

Crosslisted As: HIST277

Topic Description:

Korea has grown in importance to American politics and economy thanks to the rise to prominence of its major electronic brands Samsung and LG, as well as its automobile brands Hyundai and Kia. What happened to Korea during the past five decades? What historical, political, and social events have been behind these drastic transformations in Korea? This class aims to investigate the multifaceted transformation of Korea in the twentieth century, as well as the role of the US in Korea, with focus on four major phases in modern history of Korea: from colonization by Japan from 1910 to 1945, to the tragic Korean War in the 1950s, to a suppressive military dictatorship from the 1950s to the 1980s, and finally miraculous economic success and democracy since the 1990s.

Course Types Offered: Travel

Topic Approved: March 2013