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Korean Society and Politics: Forms and Practices of Democracy in South Korea
Contents
From a colony to a divided nation, Korea has undergone abrupt shifts of governance, violent political upheavals, brutal war, and compressed economic development, all within the sweep of a half-century. The turn to formal democracy at the end of the 1980s was crowning moment in South Korea’s contemporary history. However, the legacies of the dark past weigh heavy on even South Korea’s present state of democracy. Against this backdrop, the course is designed to enable the students to critically reflect on the developments of ideas and practices of democracy in South Korea to acquire thorough knowledge on historical developments that are crucial to the understanding of political and social phenomena in this country and at large. The first sessions of the course address democracy in general terms such as its historical manifestations and theoretical conceptualizations. The remainder of the course begins with a general overview on democratization in South Korea, which is followed by examining a different core topic each week to introduce students to a variety of forms and practices of democracy. By investigating major developments, questions and manifestations of South Korea’s democracy, students will engage in formulating and discussing critical, balanced, and comparative perspectives.
Assessment and evaluation
The course is assessed through class participation including a one-time oral presentation, weekly response papers, and one term paper (required length is 6,500 words plus any graphs, tables etc.).
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