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The purpose of this course is to provide a basic understanding of Korean history from the Period of the Three Kingdoms to the Period of the Chosŏn Kingdom. The course will examine the history of the settlements and the states emerged and declined in the Korean peninsular. It deals with various issues related to politics, economics and society of those settlements and kingdoms. By exploring the Korean history from the period of the Three Kingdoms to that of the Chosŏn Kingdom, students will understand the development of a variety of systems on which those of the modern Korean society are based.
It aims at helping students who have completed the course on the East Asian Civilisation and those who are about to begin the Korean studies to understand the basic knowledge and information on Korean History and the process of the formation of the cultural and traditional values which have a continuing influence on the lives of contemporary Koreans living in the peninsular value. This is why we call this course “Classical Korea”. It is classical because the cultures and traditions inherited from the past have a continuing weight on modern Korea as those of Greece and Rome on the modern West. The collection of articles which students are encouraged to read before each class will be distributed at the beginning of the course. Students are encouraged to use the internet to gather information and update their knowledge on Korean History beyond the assigned readings.
The reading list for every week is provided before the course begins and students are advised to read at least one of the books or an article available to them (Students with a Korean language proficiency can borrow relevant books and articles from Dr. Yi). In the first week I will hand out in class two little brochures about Korea and its history to provide students with basic facts about Korea.
l Presentation (15%): Students are required to give a 10 –15 minutes presentation of their “imagined reportage” of the historical events, figures and other historically important matters in the form of articles of newspapers or news reports from TV and radio (as an individual or a group) . By the second week the presentation schedule shall be arranged in the class.
l Essay (15%): There will be an essay assignment (about 2000 words) about the relevant issues to Korean History. It will give students an opportunity to structure the information obtained from the class and help them to enhance their ability to express their knowledge about Korean history in a written form. The research using sources written in Korean will be given an extra credit.
l Exam (Together 70%): Exam will be given to encourage students to display their working knowledge about Korean History at the end of the term.
This class aims at understanding the outline of the course and the meaning of learning about Korean History from the comparative perspective. It will deal with general features of Korean history which have been featured as the “struggle against the foreign forces”. The presentation unit and schedule will be organized during the first week. The articles and book chapters for class will be distributed to students
Week 2. The Emergence of Three Kingdoms
This class deals with the historical events related to the emergence of Kokuryŏ, Paekche and Shilla. It will explains the political and socio-economic systems of those kingdoms and the relationship between those kingdoms. It will also deal with the culture by reviewing the myths and songs sung by those peoples.
Reading list:
Joe, Wanne J. (Revised and edited by Choe, Hongkyu A.) (1997) Part 1. Early Korea, in Traditional Korea A Cultural History, Seoul, Hollym, pp.3-37.
Kim, Wŏn-yong (1986) The Formation of the Korean Prehitoric Cultures in The National Academy of Sciences ed. Introduction to Korean Studies, Seoul, the National Academy of Sciences, pp.3-40.
Kim, Ch’ŏl-jun (1986) The Formation and Development of Ancient Korean Culture in The National Academy of Sciences ed. Introduction to Korean Studies, Seoul, the National Academy of Sciences, pp. 41-70.
Gale, James Scarth (1972) The Three Kingdoms in Richard Rutt ed. James Scarth Gale and His History of the Korean People, Seoul, Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch, pp.121-154
Week 3. International Relations, Politics, Religion and Culture of Three Kingdoms
This class focuses on the international relations between these three kingdoms and other powers such as China and Japan, and politics, religions and culture of three kingdoms. It will explain the foreign policies of each kingdom and their impacts on the nations’ prosperity. It will also deal with the cultural interactions between these countries. The politics, religions and cultures of three kingdoms will be s
Reading list:
Yi, Wan-jae (1986) The Thoughts and Values of the Three Kingdoms Period in The National Academy of Sciences ed. Introduction to Korean Studies, Seoul, the National Academy of Sciences, pp.289-304
Joe, Wanne J. (Revised and edited by Choe, Hongkyu A.) (1997) 5. Buddhism, in Traditional Korea A Cultural History, Seoul, Hollym, pp.96-107.
Week 4. The Unification of the Korean Peninsula and the Palhae Kingdom
This class deals with the unification process of the Korean Peninsula by Shilla. It will explain the international and domestic politics affecting the unification process. It aims to provide students with opportunities to think about the cause for the rise and fall of the nation.
Reading List:
Joe, Wanne J. (Revised and edited by Choe, Hongkyu A.) (1997) 1. The Three-Way War and Diplomacy, in Traditional Korea A Cultural History, Seoul, Hollym, pp.41-56.
Joe, Wanne J. (Revised and edited by Choe, Hongkyu A.) (1997) 2. The Internal Structure, in Traditional Korea A Cultural History, Seoul, Hollym, pp.57-74.
Week 5. The Unified Shilla and the Decline of Shilla
It will deal with the prosperity and the decline of Shilla kingdom. It will explain the features of the socio-economic and political system of Shilla and the cultural heritages. It will also deal with the foreign relationship of Shilla with neighbouring countries such as China and Japan. By explaining the declining process of Shilla kingdom, the class will provide students with take-home-message about the powerful country.
Reading list:
Handout
Week 6. The Koryŏ Kingdom
The class will deal with the rise of Koryŏ kingdom. Reviewing the formal and informal historiography describing the founding of Koryŏ kingdom, it will explain the factors determining the historical trajectory where Koryŏ kingdom became the succeeding nation to Shilla. It will also deal with the characteristics of Koyrŏ social system and political system.
Reading list:
Joe, Wanne J. (Revised and edited by Choe, Hongkyu A.) (1997) Part 5. Society and Culture Under Koryŏ, in Traditional Korea A Cultural History, Seoul, Hollym, pp.155-188.
Gale, James Scarth (1972) Koryŏ (pp.175-186) in Richard Rutt ed. James Scarth Gale and His History of the Korean People, Seoul, Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch, pp.175-219.
Week 7. The Struggle with the Mongols
It will deal with the Koryŏ’s resistance against the Mongols and its defeat. The class will explain the profound social and political impacts of the Mongols’ occupation in Korean peninsula. Reviewing the historical legacies of the Mongols’ occupation, the class will provide students with the opportunity to think about the cultural aspects of the colonialism.
Reading list:
Joe, Wanne J. (Revised and edited by Choe, Hongkyu A.) (1997) Part 6. The Late Koryŏ Period in Traditional Korea A Cultural History, Seoul, Hollym, pp.191-230.
Gale, James Scarth (1972) Koryŏ (pp.186-219) in Richard Rutt ed. James Scarth Gale and His History of the Korean People, Seoul, Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch, pp.175-219.
Week 8. Early Chosŏn Kingdom
It will deal with the founding of Chosŏn kingdom and its consolidation process. It will concern with the introduction of Confucianism as the dominant ideology of the kingdom and its impact on political and socio-economic system. It will pay special attention to King Sechong who invented Hangŭl, Korean alphabets and other scientific devices.
Reading list:
Gale, James Scarth (1972) The Yi Dynasty (pp.221-241) in Richard Rutt ed. James Scarth Gale and His History of the Korean People, Seoul, Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch, pp.221-320.
Joe, Wanne J. (Revised and edited by Choe, Hongkyu A.) (1997) Part 7. Traditional Korea Under the Yi Dynasty in Hongkyu A. Choe (revised and edited) Traditional Korea A Cultural History, Seoul, Hollym, pp.233-304.
Week 9. Resistance against Japanese and Manchu Invasion
It will deal with the history of the struggle with Japanese and the national rivalry between Chosŏn and Japan. It will pay special attention to historical development of the relationship between Korean peninsula and Japanese islands.
Reading list:
Joe, Wanne J. (1997) Part 8. The Late Yi Dynasty: Toward Modern Era (305-344), in Hongkyu A. Choe (revised and edited) Traditional Korea A Cultural History, Seoul, Hollym, pp.305-365
Oliver, Robert T. (1993) Chapter 1, 2 and 3 in Robert T. Oliver, A History of the Korean People in Modern Times 1800 to the Present, London and Toronto: Associated University Press, pp.20-68.
Week 10. Later Chosŏn Kingdom
It will deal with the period of later Chosŏn kingdom. It will explain various attempts to reform the kingdom resulting in both successes and failures. It pays special attention to kings, Confucian literati, and commoners’ roles in Chosŏn society.
Reading list:
Oliver, Robert T. (1993) Chapter 4 and 5 in Robert T. Oliver, A History of the Korean People in Modern Times 1800 to the Present, London and Toronto: Associated University Press, pp.69-99.
Shin, Yong-ha (2000) Chapter 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 in Yong-ha Shin, Modern Korean History and Nationalism, Seoul, Jimoondang, pp.29-272.
Koo, J.H. and Nahm, A. C. (1997) 5. Japanese Colonial Rile and the National Liberation Movement in John H. Koo and Andrew C. Nahm ed. An Introduction to Korean Culture, Seoul, Hollym, pp.79-85.
Week 11. The Tonghak Struggle and Alien Encloachment
The class will pay attention to the chaotic situation where both international and domestic power struggle became fierce. It will deal with the foreign policies of the powers surrounding Korean peninsula and the reaction of Chosŏn kingdom. The struggles against the foreign powers will be explained and both positive and negative effects of those foreign powers will be discussed.
Reading list : Same as the previous week.
Week 12. Last Years of Independence and the Japanese Colonialism
It will deal with the fall of Chosŏn dynasty and the Japanese colonialism. The class will pay attention to the process of the decline of Chosŏn dynasty and provide students with opportunity to take historical lessons from it. It will deal with a wide range of independent movements waged by Koreans. Special attention will be paid to historical legacies of Japanese colonialism.
Reading list: Same as the previous week.
Week 13. Liberation and the Establishment of the Republic of Korea
The class will deal with the process of the liberation of Korean peninsula from Japan and the ensuing Cold War between the west and the east. It will deal with the establishment of both the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (the North).
Reading list:
Koo, J.H. and Nahm, A. C. (1997) 7. Liberation and Partition in John H. Koo and Andrew C. Nahm ed. An Introduction to Korean Culture, Seoul, Hollym, pp.86-90.
Oliver, Robert T. (1993) Chapter 9 and 10 in Robert T. Oliver, A History of the Korean People in Modern Times 1800 to the Present, London and Toronto: Associated University Press, pp.143-168.
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