2019 Korean History and Cultural Seminar for Educators - Handbook 2019 NKS Handbook-0617 | Page 52

. military crash with North Korea (cf. Sink of Cheonan warship)
. jailed and impeached amid various scandals
MOON Jae-In Government
. embracing North Korea (summit meeting)
. complicated relationship with neighboring countries (PRC and Japan)
. Complexity in the ROK-US Relationship (politics, economy, and military etc.)
The US – North Korea Relationship
. From Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump administration
. nuclear experiment, launches of long-range missiles; summit meetings
Current and Ongoing Issues of South Korea
. relationship with PRC, Japan, and the US
. conflict between major political parties
. overcoming cold war narratives
. practical and realistic approach to reunification
The Art and Architecture of Korea
Until recently, very few Western museums, art historians or collectors have paid attention to the art and
culture of Korea, focusing more on China and Japan. In the art world, Korean art has often been
secondary to Chinese and Japanese, and museum displays reflect this, with Korean art often relegated to
small galleries, if shown at all. In the last 30 years or so, the interest in Korean art and culture has
increased really dramatically - both outside Korea and inside. Now, the Metropolitan Museum in New
York, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the Musée Guimet in Paris and the British Museum in
London have substantial displays of Korean art. More books provide information about the art and
culture and colleges provide courses in Korean art history.
As we understand more about Korean art both in Korea and abroad, it becomes harder to explain what
makes Korean art uniquely Korean. Some scholars have pointed to Korean gray-green celadons to
suggest that the Korean aesthetic sensibility is one of restraint and austerity. How, then, do we explain
the elaborate gold crowns of the Silla kings, or the vivid costumes of traditional dance-dramas, or the
colorfully painted Buddhist temples? Others, in particular Japanese scholars, claim that Korean art is
spontaneous and technically imperfect, citing Korean folk paintings and irregular ceramic jars as
examples. If that is the case, then, how do we account for the lacquered boxes meticulously inlaid with
mother-of-pearl and the ornate paintings depicting Buddhist deities in fine silk and gold robes?
Korean art is as complex as that of any other culture. This slide lecture will present an overview of some
of the highlights of Korean art and architecture, including Three Kingdoms period burial objects, the
elegant celadons of the Goryeo period, paintings both religious and secular, lacquer ware and textiles,
with accompanying images of similar art forms from China and Japan for comparison. It will also
introduce several important examples of Korean architecture. The art will span a period from the 6 th
century AD to the present demonstrating that Korean art is not just derived from Chinese art, as
Westerners once believed. Although Korean culture, like Japanese and other nearby cultures, has been

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