EALC7771 - History of US-Korea Relations

This course explores the relationship between the Unites States and Korea by examining the roles and contributions of a diverse range of individuals. While the US-Korea relationship is often studied from a top-down perspective, focusing on high-level officials and grand diplomatic agreements, this course analyzes the stories of individuals with different backgrounds. It includes not only diplomats and politicians, but also businesspeople, immigrants, students, and others who have been overlooked in traditional diplomatic history, yet all contributed to the formation of US-Korea relations. By listening to these varied voices, students will have a better understanding of how micro-interactions shaped the broader cultural, political, and social context of US-Korea relations. Each week, we will engage in primary source or media analysis activities in class, utilizing materials in different formats to familiarize students with various historical methodologies. By analyzing a variety of source materials¬—such as memoirs, novels, diaries, films, and more—students will explore how everyday lives of individuals are entangled with major historical events, and moreover, how they are remembered and forgotten today.