This course aims to provide both a historical and a sociocultural understanding of the origins, development and impact of the Korean War (1950-1953). Often dubbed “the Forgotten War,” the Korean War was an integral part of the global Cold War. The Korean peninsula became one of the most volatile zones in global politics. In addition to reading standard accounts of the war from the perspective of diplomatic and military history, students will also learn about other aspects of the war through its portrayal in literature, films and photography to come to a fuller understanding of the complexity, nuance and legacy of the Korean War. The course examines the deep historical roots that led to the War, the various states, militaries, media and international organisations that became involved in the conflict and the human experiences that are not often included in political or historical narratives.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Comprehend the overall historical development of the Korean War.
2. Demonstrate and understand the lasting impact of the Korean War as part of a continuum of a long historical development that links the past and the present.
3. Apply critical thinking skills to develop a deeper understanding of the broader regional and global political developments, especially the Cold War.
4. Analyse the War from multiple perspectives, ranging from political and economic to personal and psychological.
5. Acquire the relevant background for a better understanding of contemporary conflicts and tensions between North and South Korea and between North Korea and the US and neighbouring Asian states, especially China and Japan.
6. Develop advanced research, critical thinking and communication skills using primary sources.

Required Resources

All course materials will be provided online.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

Graduate students attend joint classes with undergraduates but are assessed separately.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction
2	Divisions	Quiz, reading and viewing assignments
3	Occupation	Quiz, reading and viewing assignments, source introductions
4	Outbreak	Quiz, reading and viewing assignments, source introductions
5	Winter	Quiz, reading and viewing assignments, source introductions
6	In-class midterm examination
7	Inchon	Quiz, reading and viewing assignments, source introductions
8	Stalemate	Quiz, reading and viewing assignments, source introductions
9	Prisoners	Quiz, reading and viewing assignments, source introductions
10	Armistice	Quiz, reading and viewing assignments, source introductions
11	Aftermaths	Quiz, reading and viewing assignments, source introductions
12	Commemoration	Quiz, reading and viewing assignments, source introductions

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
ASSESSMENT 1: Pop quizzes on reading and viewing assignments	10 %	*	1,2,5
ASSESSMENT 2: In-class introduction of one of the week's Supplemental Sources	25 %	*	1,2,3,4
ASSESSMENT 3: Class participation	10 %	*	1,3,5
ASSESSMENT 4: In-class mid-term examination	25 %	25/08/2025	1,2,3,4,5,6
ASSESSMENT 5: Final project	30 %	01/11/2025	1,2,3,4,5,6

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Canvas’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Students are expected to attend all class sessions in full, and to actively participate in class discussion and source introductions.

Examination(s)

In-class midterm examination, as well as a final project (submitted online).

Assessment Task 1

ASSESSMENT 1: Pop quizzes on reading and viewing assignments

Short quiz on the day's assigned readings and viewings. There will be 6 quizzes given. The top 4 scores, each weighting 2.5%, will be counted toward the course quiz grade.

Assessment Task 2

ASSESSMENT 2: In-class introduction of one of the week's Supplemental Sources

For every daily class session after the first one, each student must draw one source from a supplied list (on Canvas) of supplementary readings or viewings, and be prepared in class to introduce the source's contents and its relevance and significance for both the week's theme. Given that there will be 10 weekly class sessions for this activity, each week's score will be worth 2.5% of the course grade.

Assessment Task 3

ASSESSMENT 3: Class participation

1% per week (not including weeks 1 and 6). Students must participate actively in class discussion on the assigned readings and in-class presentations. This determines one's daily participation mark. The daily marks, with a range from 0 to 3, will be averaged to determine the assessment mark for the term.

Assessment Task 4

ASSESSMENT 4: In-class mid-term examination

The mid-term examination, taken in class and written by hand, will be in essay format and require critical thinking as well as a synthesis of the readings, presentations, and discussions from Weeks 1-5. The examination will take place in the Week 6 class session.

Rubric

Key Criteria	Clear and well developed (D–HD)	Needs clarification / or some development (P–CR)	Needs substantial clarification, redevelopment (F)
Problem statement (Max. 25 marks) -   The problem that motivates your study -   Background of the problem -   Purpose and focus of your study -   Major assumptions and terms -   Relevance to the field of Korean War History	The problem statement and introduction clearly identify the historical problem in understanding the Korean War and clearly articulate the purpose of the proposed study. Major terms and key concepts are well defined.	The problem statement and introduction incompletely identify the purpose of the essay; the paper’s topic is not clearly related to the issue in Korean War history. Major terms and/or assumptions need clarification.	Problem statement and introduction are incomplete and fail to identify (1) a relevant issue that is being addressed, (2) relevance to Korean War history, (3) the purpose of the study and/or (4) the paper's major terms and assumptions.
Review of literature (Max. 20 marks) -   The review has provided a substantial sample of both published and unpublished studies that are relevant to the area of investigation -   Sources are credible and reflect contemporary understanding of the discussed topic.	The literature review provides good overview of the issue that is being addressed. Contemporary and reliable sources are chosen for review.	The literature review provides partial or incomplete overview of the issue that is being addressed. The relevance of the reviewed literature to the topic is not totally clear or relevant.	The literature review inadequately identifies the issue that is being addressed and does not provide support for the purpose of the essay.
Argumentation (Max. 30 marks) -   Argument is clear and clearly based on the evidence - Relationship between the cause and effect is logical and clearly stated -   Examples are accurate and relevant to the context -   Enough information to support the main argument	Easily identifiable relationship between the cause and effect. Evidence is historically accurate and fully supports the main argument. Sound structure and strong arguments are presented.	Jumps in logic/argumentation. Statements are too broad and need to be better related to the topic. Main argument is inadequately presented or supported by examples.	Lack of a carefully drawn argument from the evidence. Examples are chosen incorrectly or come from unreliable sources. Paucity of information.
Presentation (Max. 25 marks) -   Well written and structured essay. -   Evidence of good proofreading. -   Consistent referencing style (does not matter which style is chosen) -   Organisation of evidence and argument that is logical and easy to follow	Essay is well written with no or minor errors in style and grammar. Sources clearly referenced.	The paper needs further proofreading in style or grammar. Sources are not fully referenced or may need corrections. Organisation of the essay needs improvement.	The essay is not proofread before submission. Many writing errors. Referencing is wrong or inconsistent. Little effort was put to make the text readable.

Assessment Task 5

ASSESSMENT 5: Final project

The final project, covering the second half of the course and due during examination period, will be an individual research project submitted as a 2000-word paper, with the topic or theme selected in consultation with the instructor.

Rubric

Key Criteria	Clear and well developed (D–HD)	Needs clarification / or some development (P–CR)	Needs substantial clarification, redevelopment (F)
Problem statement (Max. 25 marks) -   The problem that motivates your study -   Background of the problem -   Purpose and focus of your study -   Major assumptions and terms -   Relevance to the field of Korean War History	The problem statement and introduction clearly identify the problem relevant to the field of Korean War History as well as and the purpose of the proposed study. Major terms and key concepts are clearly defined.	The problem statement and introduction incompletely identify the purpose of the report; the paper’s topic is not clearly related to the issue in the field of Korean War History. Major terms and/or assumptions need clarification.	Problem statement and introduction is incomplete and fails to identify (1) a relevant issue that is being addressed, (2) relevance to the field of Korean War History, (3) the purpose of the study and/or (4) define the major terms and assumptions.
Review of literature (Max. 25 marks) -   The review has provided a good cross section of studies that are relevant to the area of investigation -   Sources are credible and reflect contemporary understanding of the discussed topic. Quality of the literature used is acceptable for graduate studies	The literature review provides excellent overview of the issue that is being addressed. Contemporary and reliable sources are chosen for review. Acceptable for the graduate level of studies.	The literature review provides partial or incomplete overview of the issue that is being addressed. The relevance of the reviewed literature to the topic is not totally clear / related.	The literature review inadequately identifies the issue that is being addressed and does not provide support for the purpose of the essay.
Argumentation (Max. 25 marks) -   Relationship between the cause and effect is logical -   Examples are accurate and relevant to the context -   Enough information to support the main argument	Easily identifiable relationship between the cause and effect. Examples are historically accurate and fully support the main argument. Sound structure and strong arguments presented.	Jumps in logic/argumentation. Statements are too broad and need to be better related to the topic. Main argument is inadequately presented or supported by examples.	Lack of a thought-through argument. Examples are chosen incorrectly or come from unreliable sources. Paucity of information makes the main argument hollow.
Presentation (Max. 25 marks) -   Evidence of English proofreading. -   Consistent referencing (Chicago system) -   Correct presentation of pictures, tables, etc. Clear structure that is easy to follow	Essay is very well written with no or minor errors in English style and grammar. Referencing is consistent with the Chicago Manual of Style requirements. The essay carries pictures and tables that are well-formatted, and their copyright is acknowledged.	The paper needs some proofreading to eliminate occasional inconsistencies in style or errors. Sources are not fully referenced or may need corrections. Structure of the text needs improvement.	The essay is nor proofread before submission. Referencing is wrong or inconsistent. Little effort was put to make the text readable.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

Final project.

Hardcopy Submission

Pop quizzes, in-class midterm examination.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted for Assessments. Submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be given.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Returning Assignments

Assignments will be marked and returned to the student within a week after submission.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Special permission of the lecturer is required for re-submission.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Accessibility for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students