History 334
Dr. C. Weber
5F
II. Korean Civilization: Distinctive Variant of East Asian Culture
A. Development of the Korean Tradition
World of Asia, 233-246
How has Korea’s geographical location influenced its development? What are its
geographic distinctives? What are the origins of Korean people and culture?
What was borrowed from China?
Why was the Silla known as “little Tang”? What impact did Confucianism and Taoism
make? What was Buddhism’s impact?
What did King Taeju (Won Kon) accomplish? What was his society like? What were
the impacts of the Mongols? What did General Yi do? What are the main traits of the Koryo?
What did Yi Song-gye accomplish and why was Korea a “model Confucian state” under
his rule? What is Yangban? What did the Yi dynasty accomplish? What is Han’gul? What was
Hideyoshi’s impact on Korea?
What impact did Practical Learning, Sirhak and Christianity have? How did Western
impacts begin?
B. Korea in the Modern Era
World of Asia, 247-286
What did Taiwon-gun accomplish? How did the Sino-Japanese rivalry end in 1885?
How was Japan economically involved in Korea? What was the Tonghak movement? What was
the basis of the Russian-Japanese rivalry? How did the Japanese rule Korea and what were
Korean reactions before 1910? What happened with Japanese rule between 1910-1945? How
did Koreans respond? What happened in missionary schools? Identify the March 1 Movement.
How did Communism get a hold in Korea? What was Japan’s impact? How was Korea divided
after the war and what situations emerged? Why did North Korea attack and what were Soviet
involvements? How did America become involved? What are the reasons that China became
involved in the war? Why did Truman and MacArthur disagree? Identify containment, DMZ
and Panmunjon.
How did South Korea develop economically after 1953? What did the 5-Year Plans
accomplish? What impacts has urbanization made? What changes happened in rural areas?
What was Saemaul Undong and what did it accomplish? What did Kim Il Sung accomplish?
How does Kim Chong (Jung) Il enter the picture? How did Syngman Rhee and Park Chung-hee
rule Korea and how did they centralize control? How did foreign interests make Korea a
linchpin for a stable East Asian balance of power? What role did the US play, especially under
Pres. Carter? What did President Chun accomplish? What changes occurred in the 1980s and
1990s in South Korea and what directions did North Korea move in during the same time period?
What did Kim Chong Il do? What threats do the North Koreans pose?
How have relations between North and South Korea developed? What is the Northern
Diplomacy? What role did China and Japan play? What are the three images of Kim Il Sung?
What did the US-NK treaty of October 1994 stipulate?
Study the terms in the Glossary (pp. 285-286)
Primary Source Readings, pp. 74-77 (page numbers are circled in the book and there are two
pages for each circled page number)
“The Nationalist Movement”
How was Korea administered under Japanese rule? What were the goals of Japanese
administration? How did it help with modernization? What happened during the first period of
Japanese colonial rule? What inspired the March First Movement? How did it transpire? What
were its impacts? What did Korean nationalists claim for themselves and their country?
Primary Source Readings, pp. 78-89
Ro and Martin, from Korean Church Growth Explosion
What is the role and impact of the RC Church? How did Protestants impact Korea?
What is the Nevius Method? How did the church grow? What are the historical, religious and
political/economic, and spiritual factors for the growth of the Korean Church? How have these
factors molded the church? What problems has the church encountered? Why is church growth
declining? What does the author believe are the two “ways to remedy the situation for the
Korean church”? At the beginning and end of the article there are references to the Korean
church being “chosen.” What is meant by this?