Japan in Korea, Korea in Japan

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course and summer lab will explore the history of relations between Japan and Korea from the perspective of social and cultural interactions to understand historical memory issues in context. The Spring seminar will focus on topics ranging from early-modern diplomacy and trade to colonial rule, wartime mobilization, decolonization, and contemporary connections, including youth culture, J-pop, and K-pop. We will also explore social issues related to tourism, particularly the “dark tourism,” which will be one focus of the summer lab. The course's main objective will be to co-author a guidebook to sites that connect the two countries. After the end of the semester in May, participants will embark for two weeks of fieldwork in South Korea and Japan. In addition to visiting historical sites and museums, we will meet with Korean and Japanese faculty and students to discuss historical memories and share experiences. Based on fieldwork during the trip, we will flesh out the guidebook for online publication. Please note that students will be registered by their deans or SFS OGE staff for these courses, following application review and interview.