Korean Politics and Society (KORE30001)

As the Capstone subject for the Korean Studies major, this subject prepares students in their final year for the next stages of study or work, utilising the skills learned in previous years to deal with contemporary problems on the Korean peninsula. The subject directly engages with experts in the fields of politics, society and international relations, both in Korea and Australia, and offers real-life interactions with practitioners on the ground, such as diplomats, journalists or human rights activists in Korea. Topics vary every year, ranging from domestic party politics, national division, divided families, North Korean defectors, youth unemployment, gender-based violence, migrant workers and multicultural families.

The subject is designed around project-based learning in which students have hands-on experiences on a project, co-supervised by experts in Korea and Australia. Seminars are offered in English but students are expected to possess working-knowledge degree of Korean, i.e., they are expected to be able to use resources and references in Korean language (consonant with a level 3 language proficiency).