3 credits
undergraduate students only

Korea, the last remaining divided nation in the world, provides both
threats and opportunities of the United States. While North Korea’s
nuclear program poses a great threat to US national security, South
Korea, the seventh largest trading partner of the US, will provide
more business opportunities for the US with the US-South Korea Free
Trade Agreement (FTA). This course will explore contemporary issues
in South and North Korea and their relationship with the United
States. The first half of the course will focus on the politics and
society of two Koreas and their relationship. While South Korea
became the tenth largest economy after decades of rapid economic
growth and democratization, North Korea maintains its unique
political ideology (Juche) and socialist systems, remaining as one
of the poorest countries. To better understand this divergent
outcome, political, economic, and social systems of the two Koreas
will be discussed and compared. In addition, tensions and
cooperation in the post-Cold War period will be examined, especially
under Kim Dae Jung and Roh Moo Hyun administrations. The second half
will examine the relationship between the United States and two
Koreas. Key issues will include (1) North Korea’s nuclear program
and the US policies, (2) human right issues in North Korea, (3) US-
South Korea alliance and recent changes, (4) anti-Americanism in
South Korea, and (5) US-South Korea economic relationship including
US-South Korea FTA .

Requirements will include a midterm and a final exam, class
attendance, and participation. No previous background on Korea is
expected.