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South Korea stands as one of the largest economies in the world, producing some of the biggest ships and inventing some of the most advanced consumer electronics. With its roots in a traditional agrarian economy, South Korea grew rapidly during the 1960s and 1970s under an export- and heavy industry-focused strategy, led by the state and large conglomerates called jaebols. In less than 50 years, South Korea’s gross domestic product increased from $2.7 billion in 1962 to over a trillion dollars in 2007.

This unit explores Korean culture, i.e., the beliefs, customs, arts, and ways of life shared by—and often unique to—people living on the Korean peninsula. How did this culture develop? How has it changed over time? How has it stayed the same? By examining these essential questions, students will come to learn that a country’s culture is both anchored in its past—in historical events that have gained special meaning and in customary beliefs and practices that have lingered and survived—and a result of adaptation to changing times.