VKor4 Introduction to Korean studies

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2021
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. et Mgr. Ondřej Pazdírek (lecturer)
Mgr. Michal Schwarz, Ph.D. (alternate examiner)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Michal Schwarz, Ph.D.
Department of Mongolian, Korean and Vietnamese Studies – Asia Studies Centre – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Mongolian, Korean and Vietnamese Studies – Asia Studies Centre – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Wed 14:00–15:40 VP
Prerequisites
no requirements
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to provide the basic information on Korea and its culture and the Korean studies and to prepare the students for further study of the more specialised courses.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, the students will understand the fundamental characteristics of the Korean culture and society in the East Asian context and they will have an overview of the Korean studies in the Czech Republic and worldwide.
Syllabus
  • 1. Basic information about Korea and Koreans. The division of Korea and its consequences. The structure of Korean society in the past and present (the political systems, pon'gwan, social classes in the history of Korea, the phenomenon of chaebŏl). Some national symbols in the context of Korean culture (t'aegŭk, Tan'gun, Mt. Paektu). Holidays, customs and ceremonies.
  • 2. Relations between Korea and other Asian countries. The Korean diaspora.
  • 3. An overview of the physical and political geography of the Korean peninsula.
  • 4. The Korean script, its origin, and its structure. Chinese script in Korean. Various Romanization and Cyrillization systems.
  • 5. An outline of the history of the Korean language. Hypotheses concerning the origin of the Korean language. The influence of Chinese, Japanese and the Western languages on Korean. The language situation after the division of Korea.
  • 6. Relations between Korea and the West. Korea and the Czech lands.
  • 7. An overview of the history of the scientific study of the Korean language and culture. Major figures and publications.
  • 8. Korean studies in Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. Korean literature in Czech translation.
  • 9. Basic instruments of the Korean studies: major dictionaries, grammars, and similar works. Notable centres and periodicals. An overview of the Korean media scene.
Literature
  • Pucek, V. 1982. Úvod do studia koreanistiky. Praha: SPN.
  • Eckert, C. J. 2001. Dějiny Koreje. Praha: Nakladatelství Lidové noviny.
  • Song, J. 2005. The Korean Language: Structure, use and context. London and New York: Routledge.
  • Winkelhöferová, V., Löwensteinová, M. 2006. Encyklopedie mytologie Japonska a Koreje. Praha: Libri.
  • Selected Bibliography of Korean Studies. Compiled by the Academy of Korean Studies. Seoul: The Korea Foundation, 1995.
  • Löwensteinová, M. 2007. Slovník korejské literatury. Praha: Libri.
  • The Korean Wave: A New Pop Culture Phenomenon. Seoul: Korean Culture and Information Service – Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 2011.
  • Kim, Y. 2017. The Routledge handbook of Korean culture and society. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
  • Pultr, A. 1979. Mluvnice korejštiny 1, Hláskosloví a tvarosloví. Praha: Státní pedagogické nakladatelství.
  • Pucek, V. 1986. Mluvnice korejštiny 2, Syntax. Praha: Státní pedagogické nakladatelství.
  • Čong, M., Čong, P., Ko, M. 2011. Dějiny korejské klasické literatury: od nejstarších dob do konce 19. století. Praha: Karolinum.
  • Pucek, V. 2013. Lexikologie korejštiny. Praha: Karolinum.
  • Martin, S. E. 1992. A Reference Grammar of Korean. Rutland, Vermont and Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Company.
  • Chang, S. 1996. Korean. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Co.
  • Oberdorfer, D., Carlin, R. 2014. The two Koreas: a contemporary history. New York: Basic Books.
  • Kim Joungwon. 1996. Koreana. Korean Cultural Heritage. Volume II: Thought and Religion. Seoul: The Korea Foundation.
  • A Handbook of Korea. Seoul: Korean Overseas Culture and Information Service, 1998.
  • Pucek, V., Glomb, V. 2013. Klasická korejština. Praha: Karolinum.
  • Lee, K., Ramsey, S. R., 2011. A History of the Korean Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Pucek, V. 2005. Gramatika korejského jazyka. Praha: Karolinum.
Teaching methods
lectures
Assessment methods
written test or brief written paper
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: blokové přednášky.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2021, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2021/VKor4