November 4 - Jung-Kim - Korea's Historical Development

I thought Prof. Jung-Kim's lecture was very informative. I have never really studied ancient/medieval Korean history. I especially enjoyed the section on the modern period. The story of the transition to democracy in the south and role played by the U.S government seem to have similarities to their actions in other parts of the world in the last half of the 20th century. The only difference I suppose is the economic and political success of S. Korea compared to the other countries where U.S. influence has not had as much of a positive impact on the lives of the people who live there.

Miranda and Classmates:
There were several aspect to the evening that gave me food for thought.
I was surprised at the duration of Japanese occupation in Korea. I had always heard that there was historical friction between the Koreans and Japanese; however, the source of this friction was a bit more understandable after learning about Korean/Japanese history.

Secondly, I found it interesting to ponder the question of whether the Korean War/Conflict was a civil war or and international war. With the United States and the Soviet Union involved in the South and the North respectively, the debate seems logical.

Lastly, the possibility/probability of reunification was intriguing. With the variety of issues and history that separate the two Koreas, it seems improbable that such a reunification will happen anytime in the near future; however, according to Ms. Jung-Kim, there is strong reason to anticipate such a move. Perhaps we'll see one more nation north of the American border(i.e. - Quebec) and one less political entity in Asia(i.e. - a unified Korea). Would such a move make the United States unwelcome in Korea much the same as the United States became unwelcome in the Phillipines?

Respectfully submitted,
Walt Banta

I was stunned by how little I really knew about Korea during this session. As I brought up in class, I am the product of a military lifestyle (dad was a KC-135 pilot), and much of the politics behind the Korean war had completely escaped me. I had no idea about the central roles that both Japan and China had played, or how Korea's "occupation" and areas considered to be Korean, had changed so significantly over the centuries.

I am not usually a history buff, but I found all of this quite interesting. I have gained a whole new understanding on why things are as they are in Korea, and also believe that there will never be a unified Korea again. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I like Walt's questions about US involvement and perception in the future. Is it wrong to have unified Korea? Is it wrong to have a split Korea? Is it wrong to have Quebec secede from Canada? Or would we be unwelcome in Quebec? 😉

I also found the information about Korea interesting and enlightening. I too have relatives (father, great-uncle and their friends, plus neighbors) who are veterans of the war and it helps to know why so many of them lived there for years. It is interesting how the reason for war was cleared up after the fact, while I have heard from those I know speak about the war in different terms. I have also taught many Korean children and know the value of education and such. They never seme to mention their history, they only seem to focus on education and what it will warrant.

This was a really interesting lecture. I have some limited exposure to Korean history, politics and culture but this lecture really shed so much light. I have a whole new set of questions and ideas formulated from Prof. Jung-Kim's lecture. I am really fascinated by the Japanese role in Korea history. The idea that at one point 250,000 Japanese controlled and occupied 21 million Koreans is just fascinating. Moreover, I was really intrigued by the development and division of Korea into two countries. The information on the Korean War was also extremely valuable as is the debate about whether that war was a civil war or an international war. Overall, this was a fabulous lecture!

This session by far left me the most academically filled than any other. I mainly say this due to the fact that I had absolutely little direct instructional knowledge of Korea, besides the Korean War. As a result, there was so much to absorb, but it definitely put into perspective why Korea both N. & S are the countries that they are today. I left with a much more solid understanding as to how China influenced Korea, both in Buddhism and in Confucianism. But what was the most surprising was the period(s) of colonial rule throughout Korea's history. It was especially eye-opening to understand the pains and difficulties during their Dark Period, when Japan had control of the country, which led to the beginning of the idea of Nissen Yuwa or Harmony between Korea & Japan to Naisen Ittai (Japan and Korea as one body), and ultimately the precursor to the Korean War. Last of all, I was astonished when the professor but into perspective the amount of growth that Korea (South) has had over the last 30 yrs., despite the fact that they were 50 yrs. removed from a war and had a long history of military type dictators. I mean they hosted the Olympic games in 88', had implemented a system of democracy that has been in place for about 30 yrs., and have now become one of the most modern countries (S. Korea) in the world. Quite a turnaround.

Manuel 😀