SECOND SEMESTER TOPIC COVERAGE SY 2023-2024 Trends, Networks, and Critical Th...
2018 NKS - What Should You Know About Korea?
1. What Should You Know
about Korea?
From Edward Shultz’s “Top Ten Things to Know about Korea
in the 21st Century”
Extended and updated by Mary Connor 2017
Revised by Jennifer Jung-Kim 2018
Copyright 2015, 2017, 2018
2. Recommended readings
▪ Kyung Moon Hwang, A History of Korea (2016)
▪ Mary Connor, Asia in Focus: The Koreas (2009)
▪ Bruce Fulton, Modern Korean Literature: An Anthology (2006)
▪ Yi Munyol, Our Twisted Hero (1987)
▪ Linda Sue Park, When My Name Was Keoko (2002)
▪ Barbara Demick: Nothing to Envy (2010)
▪ Hyeonseo Lee, The Girl with Seven Names (2016)
▪ www.NationalKoreanStudies.com
▪ CIA World Factbook (online)
▪ Asia for Educators (Columbia University) for DBQs
▪ Teaching East Asia: Korea (2017) for lessons, articles, and
additional book recommendations
3. Korean history through films
YMCA Baseball (YMCA yagudan, 2002)
◦ Korea ca. 1905, appropriate for all but youngest students
The Admiral: Roaring Currents (Myeongnyang, 2014)
◦ Movie about Yi Sunsin and naval victories in the Imjin Wars (1592-
1598)
Ode to My Father (Gukje sijang, 2016)
◦ Shows Korean history from 1950 to the present
A Taxi Driver (Taeksi unjeonsa, 2017)
◦ About the 1980 Gwangju democratization movement
5. Geography of Korea
• ▪ Northeast Asia
• ▪ Peninsula surrounded
by the East Sea (not Sea
of Japan), South Sea,
and West Sea
• ▪ Four distinct seasons
with monsoonal climate
• ▪ 70% of the peninsula is
mountainous
7. There are more than:
51 million in Koreans in South Korea (#27);
over 25 million in North Korea (#51);
with about 80 million ethnic Koreans around the
world
7
8. Seoul is the 16th most populated city in the world,
with more than 10 million residents
The city of LA has almost 4 million residents
(making it #65)
The Seoul metro area is the 2nd largest in the world
with about 25 million people
8
18. Japanese Colonial Period (1910–1945)
▪ Period of “Dark Rule (1910-1919)
▪ Period of “Cultural Policy” (1919-1937)
▪ Period of war mobilization (1937-1945)
▪ Koreans became Japanese imperial subjects
▪ Assimilation (adopted Japanese names, Japanese
language, Japanese religion without equal status
as Japanese)
▪ Forced war mobilization (labor, military, sexual
slavery)
27. Koreans have a passion for nature
• ▪ Korean art, literature, leisure reveal their deep
passion for nature
• ▪ The importance of harmony with nature is seen in
homes, palaces, and temples
• ▪ Koreans appreciate their natural surroundings and
are very proud of the exquisite beauty of the
peninsula
• ▪ Koreans have a strong aesthetic sense and it is
rooted in nature
35. 35
5) You can still see
Confucianism in action on the
Korean peninsula
36. The importance of education in Confucianism is
woven into the fabric of Korean society
The school system stresses examination grades and
rankings with little room for creative thinking
There is also a strong emphasis on rearing
formulaically well rounded children
37. Philosophy: Confucianism
• ▪ Confucianism
was introduced at
about the same
time as Buddhism
• ▪ Confucianism is
about ordering
government and
society
• ▪ Confucianism
became especially
important in
Joseon Korea
from the 17th
century
39. Teachers in South Korea
Gender ratio of teachers: females make up:
98.3% of kindergarten teachers
73% of elementary school teachers
63.6% of middle school teachers
40.4% of high school teachers
17.2% of university professors
39
40. Teachers in South Korea
The average public school teacher with 15 years
of experience made 221% of GDP as of 2007.
In the US for the same level and year, the figure
was 96%.
Teacher pay ranges from $30,401 to a maximum
of $84,529 but there are more teachers than
positions.
40
41. 6) Korea is not a copy of China
Although China was a historical model for
Korea, Korea adapted borrowed beliefs,
customs, and institutions into one that is
distinctly Korean
42. Religion: Buddhism
• ▪ Introduced in the 4th
century, Buddhism has
had an important impact
on government, society,
and the arts
• ▪ Koreans shared in the
development of
Buddhism throughout
Asia
43. Goryeo Tripitaka, original woodblocks carved in 11th century,
destroyed by Mongols and recarved in 13th century,
set of 81,258 blocks
44. Seokguram
• ▪ Construction
began 751 CE
during Unified
Silla
• ▪ Represents
Silla’s advanced
knowledge of
architecture,
math, physics,
religion, and art
45. Bulguk Temple
• ▪ Construction
began in 751,
this temple
blends into
the rocky
landscape of
a forested
mountain
46. Celadon
• ▪ Artistry of the Goryeo
Dynasty (918-1392)
can best be
appreciated by its
celadon ware
• ▪ Jade green color and
elegant designs are
refined and uniquely
distinct from Chinese
designs
48. Koreans are proud of their writing system, Hangeul
• ▪ Created at the behest of King Sejong,
Korea’s most celebrate king, in 1446 to
promote literacy through vernacular writing
• ▪ Composed of consonants, vowels, and
diphthongs
• ▪ Shape of characters relates to the position
of one’s mouth in making a particular sound
• ▪ Only 14 consonants and 10 vowels today,
but it can express all sounds of spoken
Korean
49. Koreans are proud of
their folk art traditions
• ▪ In the 18th and 19th century,
new art forms emerged
focusing on folk arts by and
about commoners.
• ▪ The tiger and magpie
painting exemplifies the folk
art tradition.
50. 7) The Koreas are not hermit
nations
Historically, Korea has had close contacts
with the outside world, especially China and
Japan
56. Koreans in America
• ▪ Koreans first came to America in 1903
• ▪ Arirang parts 1 & 2 (documentary on KA history)
▪ As of 2005, there are about 1.4 million Korean
Americans
59. The Korean Wave
• The Korean Wave (Hallyu) refers to the 21st
century globalization of Korean popular
culture and Soft Power.
• The Korean Wave encompasses music,
drama, films, gaming, mobile content,
animation, comics, food, cosmetics, fashion,
language, and more.
61. K-pop
• ▪ K-pop is a worldwide phenomenon
and crosses many genres from pop to
hip-hop to indie
• ▪ Although the 3 big management
companies (JYP, SM, and YG) once
controlled the wholeBig Hit) has
broken through
67. North Korea has ties with dozens of countries
including the European Union, the United Kingdom,
Canada, and Australia as well as Russia and the
People’s Republic of China
80. Korea is geopolitically important
It borders China and Russia
to the north
Japan is about 130 miles away
Seoul is 35 miles from North Korea
81. South Korea is a world leader –
economically, technologically,
and culturally
82. With a GDP of about $1.929 trillion
(2016 estimated purchasing power parity),
the South Korean economy ranks
14th worldwide.
Its 2016 GDP (in terms of purchasing power parity)
was about $37,900.
In 2016, its exports totaled $509 billion
and imports totaled $405.1 billion.
82
84. DPRK
(2016 est)
ROK
(2017 est)
USA
(2017
est)
PRC
(2017
est)
Japan
(2017 est)
ROC
(2017
est)
Hong
Kong
(2017
est)
GDP PPP $40
billion
$2.027
trillion
$19.36
trillion
$23.12
trillion
$5.405
trillion
$1.175
trillion
$453
billion
GDP per
capita
Est.
$1,700
$39,400 $59,50 $16,60
0
$42,700 $49,800 $61,00
0
GDP
sectors
service,
industry,
agricultur
e
33.5%,
41%,
25.4%
(2017 est)
71%,
24.1%,
4.9%
(2016 est)
80.2%,
18.9%,
0.9%
52.2%,
39.5%,
8.2%
69.3%,
29.7%,
1%
62.1%,
36%,
1.8%
92.7%,
7.2%,
0.1%
Exports $2.985
billion
(2016 est)
$552.3
billion
$1.576
trillion
$2.157
trillion
$683.3
billion
$344.6
billion
$540
billion
Imports $3.752
billion
(2016 est)
$448.4
billion
$2.352
trillion
$1.731
trillion
$625.7
billion
$272.6
billion
$561.4
billion
Source: CIA World Factbook
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92. 10) Koreans want to be reunified [or
at least have peace?]
The two Koreas have been at war
since 1950
There was some thawing during
the period of Sunshine Policy
(1997-2007)
105. Historically, class was more important
than gender
Korean women usually lived with their
own natal family after marriage
Korean women could marry, divorce, and
remarry at will
Korean women had equal responsibility
and inheritance with their brothers
105
108. Middle-aged housewives control how
the family’s money is spent and
invested, so they have considerable
economic power
This can also mean considerable
social clout
108