Korean Studies: Department Focus

The University of Washington Center for Korean Studies is one of the few places in the United States which offers undergraduate and graduate training in Korean studies in a variety of disciplines. Courses are offered in Korean language, history, and society. The Department of Asian Language and Literature's Korean language program offers three full years of instruction in the modern language and in advanced reading. The history courses examine the full range of the Korean experience, from the origins of the Korean people in the archaeological record to contemporary times. Courses on Korean history include the period under Japanese colonial rule in the first half of the twentieth century, the liberation of Korea after 1945, the Korean War, and the political, economic, and social development of both South Korea and North Korea. The program of course offerings is supplemented by visiting professors from political science, economics and economic development, folklore, and literature.