Living Law@ Korea- From Hermit Kingdom To Divided Peninsula

21st century diplomatic breakthrough, or location of World War III?

What you'll learn

Korea's historical struggle to become a unified kingdom

the impact of the period of Japanese occupation

the Cold War context leading up to the Korean War

the nature of the ceasefire and division of Korea into two countries

how legal rights are balanced against national security concerns

South Korea's economic boom and transition to democracy

periodic attempts at cross-border cooperation

the prospects for unification in the 21st century

Requirements

None, though an interest in history and diplomacy, and curiosity about the world, helps

Description

In this course we explore the origins of the Korean nation and the challenges it has faced over the centuries. In so doing, we cover the Buddhist and Confucianist roots of early Korean societies. Tracing the Korean nation's history, we learn of the competing kingdoms and the eventual success in uniting the people under one Emperor. This ushered in the Imperial period, which lasted until late in the 19th century. That was when Korea's tenuous position between its larger and more powerful neighbours (China and Japan) became acute. War between the two resulted in Japan taking control of the entire Korean peninsula. We visit a prison used during the Japanese occupation to gain a better understanding of Korea's precarious situation in the region.The 20th century proved even more turbulent for Korea, with World War II, civil war, and the Cold War leading up to the division of the nation. After paying a visit to the Korean War Museum, we travel to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the border between North and South Korea. There we get a tour of the area from members of the United Nations Armastice Command. We consider the nature of an armistice and the ever-present risk of conflict. Returning to Seoul, we consider the role played by Korea's modern history in relation to its National Security Act. This law aimed to preserve South Korea's security, but at the cost of certain civil liberties. Finally, we consider the current situation on the Korean peninsula. The modern democracy in South Korea was several decades in the making, and now the country is one of the most prosperous on the planet. But the situation in the north looms large. We examine the remaining obstacles to Korean unification, or even normalization of relations, during a visit to another border town. The past few years has brought the Korean situation to the forefront of international diplomacy, though a major breakthrough remains elusive. Having considered the topics in this course, where do you think things will head?

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Introduction

Lecture 2 The Imperial Era- from Three Kingdoms to Korean Unification

Lecture 3 From Hermit Kingdom to Japanese occupation

Lecture 4 Crisis Period: World and Civil War

Lecture 5 A Visit to the DMZ

Lecture 6 Side note: Preserving the Peace

Lecture 7 Separation, Sedition and National Security

Lecture 8 Forging a political and legal system

Lecture 9 Sunshine Policy, and Sunset- Continuing Division

Lecture 10 Where does Korea go from here?

businesspersons, educators and students, travellers, professional and armchair diplomats