Patriots, Communists, and Traitors in Modern Korea

Korean history and politics is polarized by labels of "patriot," "traitor," "right wing," and "communist." Considering global capitalism and its complicity with colonialism, this course will examine Korea following the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and 1919 post-Wilsonian moments, and understand how these international events changed domestic politics. Through close readings of key historical documents, we will uncover the colonial origins of Korean Communism and radicalism, which both still hold great influence on the popular imagination and effect contemporary society in the two Koreas in complicated ways.