A Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges to Promote Asian Studies
ASIANetwork Faculty Enhancement Program (ANFEP)
Deepening Asian Studies in the Liberal Arts
Seminars in India, South Korea and Vietnam
supported by
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Summer 2012: South Korea Seminar
“Understanding Global Trends through Korean History:
Cultural Synthesis, Colonialism, Cold War and Globalization”
June 9 – July 1, 2012
Director: Dr. Brandon Palmer, Coastal Carolina University
2012 Korea Seminar: Detailed Itinerary
The following is a tentative schedule of events.
Events can be altered to meet the individual interests of the group members.
Thur. June 9 Leave United States
Fri. June 10 Arrive in Seoul
Anapji Palace, a reconstructed Silla Dynasty palace (Photo by Brandon Palmer)
Sat.-Sun. June 11-12 Travel to Andong
Andong remains a bastion of traditional Confucianism in Korea. The village is a living monument to traditional Korean culture. Two nights will be spent at a traditional Korean home (Han’ok).
Mon. June 13 Gyŏngju
The group will visit the ancient burial mounds of Silla Dynasty (57BCE-935CE) kings and queens at Daerŭngwŏn Tomb Complex as well as visit Gyŏngju National Museum. The evening will be spent at Anapji Park, a palace complex that is illuminated at night.
Bulguksa Temple (Photo by Brandon Palmer)
Tue. June 14 Day in Gyŏngju
Visit Bulguksa Temple and Sŏkguram Grotto, historical sites of religious importance during the Silla Dynasty.
Wed.-Thur. June 15-16 Buddhist Temple Stay at Haeinsa Temple
Two days and one night will be spend as a templestay at Haeinsa Temple (a UNESCO World Heritage site) which houses the Tripitaka Koreana (wooden printing blocks carved in 1251).
Fri.-Sun. June 17-19 Jeju Island
The group will spend three days on Jeju Island, a region of South Korea that has a culture that is distinctive from the rest of Korea, and has a wealth of natural beauty.
Mon. June 20 Travel to Seoul
Observation of Seoul from the 63 Building (the tallest skyscraper in South Korea).
Biwŏn (Secret Garden) in Seoul (Photo by Brandon Palmer)
Tue. June 21 Seoul
Tour Kyŏngbok Palace, Changdŏk Palace and Biwŏn Garden. Kyŏngbok Palace was the primary residence of many of Korea’s kings during the Chosŏn Dynasty and Changdŏk Palace was a favored residence of many princes.
Wed. June 22 Seoul
Morning tour of an outdoor market at Namdaemun. In the evening attend a performance at the National Center for Traditional Performing Arts.
Thur. June 23 Seoul
Tour the campus of Yonsei University and meet with a group of students. Fri.
June 24 Ch’ŏnan
The group will visit the Independence Hall, a seven exhibition hall complex dedicated primarily to preserving the history of the Korean independence movement. A question and answer session will be held with a scholar from the Independence Hall.
A snapshot of Yongwol, a village in rural Korea (Photo by Brandon Palmer)
Sat. June 25 Yongjin
Spend the day at a traditional Korean folk village that provides performances and hands-on activities.
Sun. June 26 Seoul
In the morning, attend services at the Yoido Full Gospel Church, one of the largest and most powerful Christian churches in Korea. In the afternoon, take a guided tour of the Korean Military Academy and hold a discussion regarding national and regional security with an officer in the South Korean military.
Mon. June 27 Seoul
Visit the Northeast Asian Historical Foundation for a special lecture on the contentious relationship between Japan and Korea. Have dinner at Korea House, a dinner theater that provides performances of traditional Korean arts.
Tue. June 28 Seoul
Tour the Blue House, the residence of South Korea’s president, and visit the Korean Democracy Foundation (a NGO) for a lecture on the democratization of Korea in the 1980s.
The Demilitarized Zone (Photo by Brandon Palmer)
Wed. June 29 Demilitarized Zone
Take a day tour of the DMZ and Joint Security Area, one of the last frontiers of the Cold War.
Thur. June 30 Seoul
Hold a question and answer session with a North Korean defector about life inside of North Korea.
Fri. July 1 Return to United States
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation granting mission is to strengthen and sustain institutions and their core capacities, rather than be a source for narrowly defined projects. As such, they develop thoughtful, long-term collaborations with grant recipients and invest sufficient funds for an extended period to accomplish the purpose at hand and achieve meaningful results.
ASIANetwork, a consortium of approximately 150 North American colleges, strives to strengthen the role of Asian Studies within the framework of liberal arts education to help prepare succeeding generations of undergraduates for a world in which Asian societies play prominent roles in an ever more interdependent world.
