This course is designed to give students an overview of contemporary South Korean politics snd society in the period from the 1960s to the present. The course reviews recent socio-political changes in Korea including Korea's rapid economic development in the 1960s and in the 1970s, democratisation and the resurrection of civil society in the 1980s, and globalisation and neoliberal reforms since the 1990s. This course will explore relevant theories and concepts in the social sciences (mainly political science and sociology) to analyse these changes in Korea. During the tutorials the students will be given an opportunity to discuss in depth some pressing political and social issues in Korea, seek parallels in other Asian and Western societies and consider possible solutions to these problems at structural, institutional and behavioral levels.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Upon successful completion of this unit, students will have gained an understanding of how contemporary South Korean society works and a broad knowledge of the major features of its politics, everyday life and culture.

Research-Led Teaching

Individual research for weekly in-class presentations and discussion.

Required Resources

A History of Korea

Author: Kyung Moon Hwang

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Edition: Third

Availability: Free download through ANU Library website

All other sources available through Canvas.

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.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction to course and current circumstances	Readings, discussion, lectures/presentations
2	Historical overview of first half of the 20th century	Readings, discussion, lectures/presentations
3	Politics of South Korea 1	Readings, discussion, lectures/presentations
4	Politics of South Korea 2	Readings, discussion, lectures/presentations
5	Economic Development	Readings, discussion, lectures/presentations
6	Midterm examination	Answer to a single essay question, in-class, paper and pen only.
7	Popular Culture	Readings, discussion, lectures/presentations
8	Family law and gender	Readings, discussion, lectures/presentations
9	(Labour Day holiday)	(No meeting.)
10	Education and popular beliefs	Readings, discussion, lectures/presentations
11	Religious actions and identities	Readings, discussion, lectures/presentations
12	Demographic challenges	Readings, discussion, lectures/presentations

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Class participation	10 %	27/07/2026	*	1
Weekly in-class introduction of a supplemental source	30 %	03/08/2026	12/08/2026	1
Individual presentation	5 %	10/08/2026	19/08/2026	1
In-class mid-term examination	25 %	31/08/2026	18/09/2026	1
Final project	30 %	10/11/2026	17/11/2026	1

* 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

Absolutely necessary to maintain steady engagement with the course content, and to demonstrate this through participation in class discussion each week.

Examination(s)

In-class midterm essay examination.

Assessment Task 1

Class participation

Speaking in and listening to class discussion. 1.1% per week (not including weeks 6 and 9). Students must participate actively in class discussion on the assigned readings and in-class presentations, and come to class prepared to answer the week's study questions. This determines one's daily participation mark.

Assessment Task 2

Weekly in-class introduction of a supplemental source

For every daily class session after the first one, each student must select 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 significance for the week's theme. A score (0-3) will be given each week, and each week's score will be weighted 3.3% of the semester mark for this assignment.

Assessment Task 3

Individual presentation

A slide presentation, featuring audio/visual sources, on a topic to be further explored in either the midterm or final project. Sign-ups for specific class session to begin in Week 2.

Assessment Task 4

In-class mid-term examination

The mid-term examination, taken in class in Week 6 and written by hand, will be in essay format and answer a single broad question. The answer requires a broad understanding of modern Korean politics and economy, that synthesises the course content from Weeks 1-5 and cited specifically to support the answer.

Assessment Task 5

Final project

A slide presentation with narrative voice-over on an issue, selected in consultation with the professor, that poses and answers a specific question. The answer will require critical thinking and needs to draw from relevant class readings and supplemental sources, cited specifically, as well as synthesise the class presentations and discussions from the second half of the course. The final running time of the presentation must be 12-15 minutes.

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

Weekly one-page introduction, submitted in PDF format at least one hour before class, to supplementary source commentary.

Hardcopy Submission

Midterm examination.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without a pre-approved extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof.

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.

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.

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