KOR2510 – North Korea: Ideology, Society and Politics
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
North Korea is a society which challenges our conventional ideas about ‘development’ or ‘modernity’. While still proclaiming itself a "socialist" country ("in our style"), it relies heavily upon essentially Confucian notions of "loyalty" and "filial piety" for legitimising itself internally. Its ideology, "self-reliance" (chuch’e), represents a combination of Third- World nationalism with elements of the traditional East Asian thought.
This course is aimed at giving a coherent outline of North Korea’s development from its beginnings and until our days, in economy, society, politics and ideology. In addition, the culture of North Korea which is little known outside of the county - its literature, visual arts and cinema - will be treated as well. International relationship and their importance for North Korea’s economy, society and culture will be one more topic to focus on.
Learning outcome
- Acquire a structured, coherent understanding of the process of North Korea’s historical development.
- Gain in-depth knowledge of the main features of North Korea’s economy, society and its political and ideological system.
- Develop analytical skills, potentially useful for future career, in critical understanding of North Korea’s politics, society and cultural products.
- Develop practical skills in collecting and processing information on North Korea from academic sources and writing essays on the basis of information collected.
- Develop digital skills in utilizing diverse online and digital sources on North Korean politics, society and culture.
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Teaching
The course consists of weekly lectures (2 hours each) over 12 weeks. Active participation, in the form of questions and discussion on the basis of the class content, is strongly recommended.
Compulsory activities:
- A digital multiple-choice test in Canvas. More detailed information will be available after the semester starts.
You will find more information about the compulsory activity in Canvas.
All compulsory activities must be approved to qualify for the exam. It is your responsibility to verify that you have obtained approval for all compulsory activities.
Absence from compulsory activities:
It is important that you familiarize yourself with the rules regarding absence from compulsory activities, to prevent being excluded from teaching and losing your eligibility to take the exam.
More information on compulsory activities at the University of Oslo:
The approved compulsory activity remains valid for the two following semesters in which the course is offered. However, exceptions may arise if the course undergoes changes in its assessment format, teaching, or other significant modifications.
Access to teaching:
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
4 hours schoolexam.
You must submit the exam in Inspera - see guides for digital exams.
You are personally responsible for familiarizing yourself with the requirements and deadlines for the exam.
All compulsory activities must be completed and approved in order to take the exam.
You can find more information about the exam on the semester page of the course.
No references are allowed during the examination. In the necessary cases, students may apply for the permit to use dictionaries during the examination.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English.You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.