K Is for Korea: Reading a Culture through Pages, Soundscapes, and Images
KORLIT 141
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
BTS, Parasite, K-pop, and Han Kang are widely recognizable icons of Korea today. With the global spread of “K-culture” and the increasing use of the prefix “K-” to signal cultural value and visibility, this course asks: what does it mean to read culture as a text? What kinds of cultural forms are produced, curated, consumed, and performed as “Korean,” and why? How can historical perspectives complicate and deepen our understanding of contemporary Korea? In this course, students will examine works of Korean literature, music, visual arts, and media—from both contemporary contexts and earlier historical periods—to explore the origins, transformations, and contestations surrounding the question “What is Korea/Korean?” Rather than seeking a single, unifying definition or a catch-all formula, the course approaches Korea/Korean as a set of collages and composites shaped by conflicting, complementary, and often invented ideas and materials. A central goal of the course is to encourage deeper engagement with familiar cultural icons by slowing down interpretation and situating them within longer historical timelines and broader spatial frameworks. Through these materials and approaches, students will hone skills in close reading, critical viewing, informed commentary, and content creation. Key themes include cultural boundaries and hybridity, approaches to cultural history, and cultural curation as a social, historical, geographical, aesthetic, and imaginative practice.
Recommended Prep
No prior knowledge of Korean history or the Korean language is required for this course.
Available for Harvard Cross Registration
