LAS123 History and Culture in Korea

Autumn Semester 2025/26

20 credits

Module Organiser: Mike Prentice (mike.prentice@sheffield.ac.uk) 

Overview

This module explores what it means to study Korea at university level, and considers how `area studies' research on Korea fits within disciplines such as history and cultural studies. We will consider how histories and cultural understandings of Korea are built with the following in mind: how researchers use primary evidence such as texts, documents and/or images to understand social change; and how to navigate key debates in a field and evaluate competing arguments. You will finish this module with a deeper understanding of our core topic and the disciplinary approaches that frame it, and a foundation in critical research and writing skills that you can apply and develop in further study. We will work on a combination of new and established research to explore one core topic: in 2024-2025 we will focus on the period after liberation from Japan in 1945, key events in the 1940s, the Korean War, and the legacy of the division in both Korean societies in the time after. 

Topics Covered

• The legacy of the division

• The division of Korea

• The 38th parallel and life in divided Korea

• The 4.3 Incident

• The Korean war

• Post-Korean war political developments

• The division's effects

Skills Development

• Translating knowledge

• Global awareness

• Academic Writing 

• Research impact

• Critical thinking

• Digital fluency

• Communication

Study Hours

The University recommends that you spend 200 hours working on a 20 credit module. This will include:

• Lecture: 10 hours

• Seminar: 10 hours

• Independent study: 180 hours

Assessment

• Essay (70%)

• Pre-seminar Discussion Board Posts (10%)

• Video Assessment (20%)