Korean Society and Politics
Undergraduate
CUR-KOR220 2025Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
Welcome to Korea. You’ll explore Korean history and culture, including key events and social structures. Take a look at North-South Relations. If you’re thinking of living or working in Korea, this subject offers an overview of modern Korea.
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- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 23 Feb 2025
- Entry requirements
- No ATAR needed, No prior study
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Price from
- $2,244
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Korean Society and Politics
About this subject
At the completion of this subject students will be able to:
- describe key events in the history of the Korean peninsula and explain the significance of historical legacies to both North and South Korean societies and cultures
- discuss how social structures influence social interactions in South Korea, and apply this knowledge to living and working in Korea
- compare and contrast how culturally contingent social and political practices influence decision making in Korea, and design evidence-based solutions to simulated practical challenges in the workplace and international politics
- develop a global outlook through interactive in-class exercises that seek to compare and contrast Eurocentric knowledge with Korean worldviews
- Korean history overview
- Colonial period and legacies
- Korean War and Division
- Economic Development and the Chaebol
- Democratisation and Civil Society
- Confucianism and Religion
- Migration and Multiculturalism
- Gender
- North-South Relations
- North Korean society and politics
- The two Koreas’ international relations
This subject is suitable for students with no prior knowledge of Korean language or culture. It introduces students to the main events in the modern history of the Korean peninsula, Korean social and political structures, as well as the fractious relations between the two Koreas. The subject is designed for learners who will require an in-depth understanding of Korea in their future careers, and covers topics such as family structures and values, gender relations, migration and the significance of the corporate sector to Korean society and politics. The subject also covers aspects of North Korean society and relations between the two Koreas. Assessments for this unit focus on developing skills in providing research and evidence-based recommendations to employers in workplace contexts and conducting a simulated symposium.
Please Note: If it’s your first time studying a Curtin University subject you’ll need to complete their compulsory ‘Academic Integrity Program’. It only takes two hours to complete online, and provides you with vital information about studying with Curtin University. The Academic Integrity Program is compulsory, so if it’s not completed your subject grades will be withheld.
Find out more about the Academic Integritymodule.
- Weekly group discussions culminating in a simulated symposium (30%)
- Research essay on a set topic (40%)
- Policy recommendation report (30%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
No entry requirements
Additional requirements
- Equipment requirements - Computer camera (either inbuilt or webcam). Headset with microphone.
- Other requirements - Laptop or computer. Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome browser. Reliable internet access. Access to a scanner or smartphone.
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
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What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
Bachelor of Arts (Korean Studies)
Undergraduate
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