Social Studies Elective Idea: History of Korea

       Many ideas come to mind when one thinks of Korea. From the musical escapades of K Pop, to the high stakes of a K Drama, to Korean BBQ or fried chicken, to Samsung and Hyundai. Korean pop culture has impacted American in many distinct ways from entertainment, to beauty, to cars. However, many people don't know the history behind the peninsula. 

    A depiction of "hallyu" the Korean Wave

    My own history with Korea starts recently. In July of 2022 I applied to be an English teacher in South Korea at a "Hagwon", a Korean after school academy common for foreigners to teach at. I didn't know much about Korea at all, but by the time I moved to Korea in September of 2022 I remember wishing I knew a little more beyond the surface. After spending time living in Korea until February of 2023, I visited museums and other culture history sites that lead me to wonder more about Korean history. Despite majoring in history myself, I discovered I was unaware of much of Korean history. My knowledge started around where most Americans would start: World War 2 and the Korean War, leading into North and South Korea. I wanted to learn more, and I discovered more. Ancient kingdoms, dynasties, complex relationships with neighboring countries, all of it was so fascinating. Because of my lived experience in Korea, I developed a passion towards the subject matter and would propose teaching it to students of any secondary age level.

    A class on Korean history would do one of many things. First, it would provide a more robust account of Korea. Typically as Americans, we see only the current pop culture lens. By providing a historical perspective, we can also lean more into appreciation instead of appropriation and gain a greater appreciation of the culture and people. Second, Korean history is very interesting! While largely unexplored, there are many interesting details from cultural discoveries and inventions (Did you know the first astronomical observatory is in Korea?  Or that the first domestically cultivated soybean is from Korea?). 

The oldest astronomical tower located in Gyeongju

    All these factors make for an interesting class for students to take. From my experience, there are many students who have a curiosity about history, but don't necessarily feel like they get the time in school to cover what they want to know, or it may not be covered in their regular social studies class. By offering History of Korea as an elective, students that want a more traditional history course or wish to cover history not commonly covered in regular social studies will enjoy taking it.

    There's also the fact that many students are interested in Korean culture and want to know more about it! It's undeniable how impactful Korean culture is globally in 2023. Many students might be curious to know detailed history and further study of the country. The course would range from ancient times beginning in the Three Kingdoms Era, to United Silla, to the Goryeo Dynasty, Joseon Dynasty and Korean Empire, Japanese Occupation and World War 2, to the Korean War, North and South Korea, and modern times. Throughout the exploration over time, students will be able to draw connections between past and present, and explore repeated historical patterns, cultural discoveries, impactful battles/conflict, social class divisions, mythology,  and royal scandals,  all of this with present day connections and tie ins. 

    While Korean History might not be the first course many people have in mind for a social studies elective, student interest in Korean culture has never been higher. I encourage other people to think about creative (and accessible!) elective ideas surrounding global history that can engage students in our ever changing global world, providing more context and ultimately empathy and understanding.