HKOB00022U North Korea: History, society, and culture

This 14 week course aims to provide students with no prior knowledge of North Korea with a critical introduction to the history, society and culture of one of the world’s most secretive states. The course will cover the following areas: the emergence of the North Korean state, the guerrilla background of Kim Il Sung, the liberation period and the Korean War, North Korean political and economic development 1953-91, North Korea after the collapse of the Soviet Union, daily life in North Korea, the roots of the economic problems, Juche ideology, the nuclear issue, North-South relations since 1971, characterizing the North Korean state, North Korean film and art, the issue of defectors, and problems in studying North Korea. Students will be expected to keep up with weekly readings and to contribute to class discussions. No prior knowledge of the Korean language or Korean history and society is required. However, those with no previous knowledge of Korean history should read Korea's Twentieth-Century Odyssey: A Short History by Michael Robinson. Pre-course reading is The North Korean Revolution, 1945–1950 or Tyranny of the Weak, North Korea and the World, 1950–1992 both by Charles K. Armstrong.