EALC1571 - Science and Technology in Korean Popular Culture

Do science and technology come to mind when you think of Korean popular culture?
This course examines how science and technology are portrayed within Korean popular culture. We will analyze their depiction across different media and explore the many ways in which popular culture, and by extension everyday lives in Korea, are connected to science and technology. By uncovering science and technology elements in unexpected moments and formats, students will explore questions such as: How are science and technology used for political purposes, or are they political by nature? How does using science and technology contribute to or help solve social injustice? Why and how do people resist certain advances in science and technology? How do we define the boundary between what is natural and what is artificial? How do science, technology, and culture influence each other?
Expanding our study to film, novel, tv series, and K-pop, students will gain insights into how the representation of science and technology reflects aspects of Korean society. Throughout the semester, we will also have chances to compare these representations with the case studies from other East Asian countries. By the end of this course, students will have a better understanding of the relationship between science, technology, and society in the modern world.