SemesterFall Semester, 2025
DepartmentFreshman Class of Department of Korean Language and Culture
Course NameIntroduction to Korean Studies
InstructorKWON KYUNG ROK
Credit3.0
Course TypeRequired
Prerequisite
Course Objective
Course Description
Course Schedule

Weekly Topics:



Week 1. Course Introduction



Week 2. Making Korean name & Starting from Gyeongbokgung Palace:



From King Sejong and Admiral Yi Sun-sin to BTS & A Tour of Seoul



Week 3 & 4. The History of "K":



The History of K-Drama, K-Film, and K-Pop



Major Companies & The Big Four Entertainment Agencies / From X generation to Z generation in Korea



From Do you know Kimchi to Do you know Psy?



Week 5 & 6. Society & Culture :



Age Culture, University Entrance Exams, and Campus Culture: Why is Age So Important in Korea?



Military Service and Workplace Culture: Comparing the MZ Generation in Korea and Taiwan



Week 7 & 8 Midterm Presentations



Week 9 & 10 History



A Look into the Joseon Dynasty



Why the Joseon Dynasty? As History and as a Social Phenomenon



What Do the Ming and Qing Dynasties Mean to Korea & Taiwan?



Japan and North Korea



Korea–Japan Relations & Inter-Korean Relations



What Do Japan and China Mean to Taiwan?



 



Week 11. Food Culture



History & Origin 



Ramen, Gimbap, and Buldak Bokkeum Myeon 



Week 12 &13. Society



Regionalism and Feminism



Metropolitan Centralization and the Chaebol (Conglomerate) Problem



Inequality in Korea



Week 14 & 15 Politics 



Democratization Movement in Korea



Week 16. Final Presentations



 



Participation Assignment



Each week, questions comparing Taiwan and Korea will be assigned; students are required to prepare short insights and responses (about 2-3 minutes)


Teaching Methods
Teaching Assistant

Not yet decided


Requirement/Grading

  • Attendance: 10%

  • Participation: 30% (Each week, questions comparing Taiwan and Korea will be assigned; students are required to prepare short insights and responses (about 2-3 minutes))

  • Midterm Presentation: 20%

  • Final Presentation: 40%



 



 



Midterm & Final Presentation Guidelines



For the midterm exam, students are required to choose one topic and present a comparison between Korean and Taiwanese society (approx. 5 minutes).

The instructor will provide more detailed instructions and specific guiding questions for the midterm presentation.



Students will develop the same topic further and give a more in-depth presentation for the final exam (approx. 10 minutes).


Textbook & Reference

Lecture slides and PDF materials will be provided by the instructor.


Urls about Course
Attachment