Writing and Culture of Premodern Korea

This course is an introductory survey of the cultural history of premodern Korea-from early times until the turn of the twentieth century-focused on the primary sources. We will read various original materials (in English translation): myths, state histories, diaries, travelogues, and works of fiction, among others. Topics covered in this course include the imagination of the origins in myth, the idea of Confucian governance, everyday life and entertainment in Choson (1392-1910), and Korea's opening to the west in the late nineteenth century.