Beyond Gangnam Style: Seoul, Dislocation, and the Search for Place

Seoul has become a celebrated cultural hub both within Asia and globally. However, underneath the glitter of modernity visible in the urban sprawl of Seoul’s “Gangnam Style” are forgotten stories, stratified claims, and a tumultuous history covering 35 years of Japanese rule, a war, and the ongoing presence of 28,500 American troops. This course will take an interdisciplinary approach to Seoul incorporating history, urban culture, literature and visual media, and engage key concepts informing the burgeoning field of Korean studies. Attention will be given to contestations over space, IT infrastructure, architectural spaces, and the emergence of new subjectivities.