| Course Name | Year | Term | Period | Faculty / Graduate School | All Instructors | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13322:[2025 Fall]IR18‐GE304 Korean Studies (R) § 13323:RUIR-3621 Korean Studies(R) § 13324:IR-FS304 Korean Studies (R) | 2025 | Fall | Fri5 | College Of International Relations | JANG YOUNGJOO | 2 |
Campus
Class Venue
Language
Course Outline and Method
Information for “+R-Jugyo” will be posted on the “Course Introduction” on moodle+R by September 20. Be sure to check the “Course Introduction” on moodle+R.
This course explores the politics and foreign policy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea). The focus is to think critically about the North Korea’s pressing issues of security (namely nuclear and missile development) and external behaviors based on our conceptual/ theoretical understandings and knowledge of International Relations. The course is formed by four sections. In the first section, we overview and understand general information about and contemporary issues that the international community faces about North Korea in a broader context of International Relations. In the second section, we explore the history of North Korea. Tracing back to the Japan’s colonization of the Korean Peninsula, we look into how North Korea was established and how its political and social systems including its ideology were built. The third section covers and evaluates international efforts to deal with the North Korean leadership in the post-Cold War era. Here we primarily explore North Korea’s foreign policy behavior vis-à-vis the United States, South Korea, Japan, China, and Russia. The final section looks into specific debates: the North Korea’s cultural diplomacy, North Korea’s relation with pro-North organization in Japan, and the prospect for North Korea’s future.
Student Attainment Objectives
・improve their ability to think critically and analytically about North Korea and its nuclear development from multiple perspectives;
・take into account the historical, political, and international foundations of North Korea today;
・understand the specific local context which North Korean issues originate from and relate it to the larger scholarly literature and policy debates pertaining to North Korea.
Recommended Preparatory Course
Course Schedule
| Lecture/Instructor（When there are multiple instructors) | Theme |
|---|---|
| Keyword, References and Supplementary Information | |
| week 1 | Course introduction, Description and class organization |
Basic data about North Korea: CIA World Factbook, available sources from North Korea |
|
| Week 2 | Debates about North Korea |
Contemporary issues (security, economy, and human rights) |
|
| Week 3 | History of North Korea: during the WWII |
Japan’s colonization of the Korean Peninsula, the activists’ protests in the northern part of Korea |
|
| Week 4 | Making of North Korea: post-WWII |
Establishment of Juche (self-reliance) ideology, the roles of the leader and the Workers’ Party of Korea |
|
| Week 5 | Society of North Korea |
Three Kim’s eras and the development path of domestic economy |
|
| Week 6 | Foreign relations: the United States (I) |
The Korean War, diplomatic downtime, and nuclear negotiation (1990s – 2000s)
|
|
| Week 7 | Foreign relations: the United States (II) |
Nuclear negotiation (2010s – 2024)
|
|
| Week 8 | The Inter-Korean relations |
The divided Koreas: Nuclear crises, unification, and negotiation
|
|
| Week 9 | Foreign relations: Japan |
The close but distanced states: Issues of history, abduction, and negotiation
|
|
| Week 10 | Foreign relations: China |
The patron state with dilemma
|
|
| Week 11 | Foreign relations: Russia |
Swinging alliance: Ups and downs over the bilateral history
|
|
| Week 12 | North Korea and the pro-North organization in Japan: |
General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) and Korean schools |
|
| Week 13 | North Korea’s cultural diplomacy |
Tools of propaganda?: Sports, art troupes, and tourism |
|
| Week 14 | Wrap-up |
The value of critical thinking from multiple perspectives and future prospects |
Class Format
Recommendations for Private Study
Grade Evaluation Method
| Kind | Percentage | Grading Criteria etc. |
|---|---|---|
| Final Examination (Written) | ||
| Report Examination (A report to be submitted by the unified deadline) |
||
| Exams and/or Reports other than those stated above, and Continuous Assessment (Evaluation of Everyday Performance in Class) |
100 | 30%: Active class participation including attendance and discussion
|
Grade Evaluation Method （Note）
2. Late arrival for 30 minutes or more will be considered as absence.
3. The above course schedule may get changed depending on circumstances and such changes will be informed to the students in advance.
Advice to Students on Study and Research Methods
Textbooks
Textbooks （Frequency of Use, Note）
Reference Books
| Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN Code | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stanlinist Utopia | Andrei Lankov | Oxford University Press | 9780199390038 | |
| The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future | Victor Cha | HarperCollins | 9780062906366 | |
| North Korea: Ideology, Politics, Economy | Han. S. Park | Prentice Hall | 9780131021613 |
Reference Books （Frequency of Use, Note）
Web Pages for Reference
How to Communicate with the Instructor In and Out of Class(Including Instructor Contact Information)
Other Comments
URL:https://secure.ritsumei.ac.jp/students/pathways-future/course/curriculum.html/