Yonsei University

With the emergence of AI, there are endless translation tools that you can use online. Chat GPT, DeepL, Google Translate, Papago, are among many tools that are available to us today. We explore critical questions about why and how translation studies and practice can still benefit us, such as: Why study translation theory when these tools are readily available? How can we most effectively utilize these tools? What can literary scholars contribute to the development of translation tools? How can we apply our theoretical knowledge to enhance existing tools or develop new ones? We study translation theories from the 19th-21st century and practice various types of translation. 

Through this course, each student develops their own translation strategies while gaining a deeper understanding of diverse translation strategies and styles. We translate for different kinds of readership, learning to utilize methods accordingly. This course provides an overview of fundamental translation theories and methods, as well as hands-on experience in translating literary works.  

We read a wide variety of essays, statements, and criticisms on translation methods and philosophy, and apply these ideas to our own translations. Together, we examine translation’s role in world literature and how various translation modes affect readers’ understanding and experience of texts. Students develop both practical translation skills and the ability to appreciate translated literature from a reader’s perspective. Regular in-class workshops provide opportunities for students to produce and share their translations with fellow classmates. 

Note: Students should have proficiency in a source language other than English. 

This course explores the media technology strategies required for strategic communication professionals (advertising, PR) in the rapidly changing media environment. By examining how the digital media market is evolving and understanding the fundamental terminology and various strategies needed for digital communication, the course aims to develop the analytical and problem-solving skills essential for effective strategic communication. 

This course offers a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the politics, economics, and foreign policy that constitute international politics of the Korean Peninsula. It explores how Korea dealt with its first encounters with imperialism and tackled the complex task of modernization, to understand how these prewar historical legacies continue to affect the domestic politics, society and international relations of South Korea today. 

Topics include ethnic nationalism in Korea, imperial Japan, territorial disputes in Asia, the Comfort Women issue, South Korea’s industrialization, the LGBTQ movement in Korea, feminist and anti-feminist movement in Korea, North Korea and its nuclear weapons, to name a few. 

Prerequisites: A course in political science or in Asian Studies 

Korean Art in the Modern and Contemporary Era is an introductory class for any students who are interested in art, especially Korean visual art. This course explores the dynamic evolution of Korean art from the early 20th century to the present day, and examines how Korea’s historical, social, and cultural transformations have influenced its artistic expressions. Students engage with diverse media, including painting, sculpture, photography, video art, and installation art, while critically analyzing works by prominent  artists. Through lectures, discussions, and visual analyses, students develop a deeper understanding of Korean art's significant role in shaping contemporary visual culture. This course includes field trips to art museums and art galleries. 

This course introduces students to the unique history and contemporary landscape of design in Korea, tracing its evolution from traditional crafts and aesthetics to the vibrant modern and postmodern design culture of today. Through lectures, discussions, and extensive field trips to museums, galleries, design studios, and cultural districts, students will explore how Korea’s rapid modernization and global engagement have shaped its design identity. 

The course begins with an overview of design history, examining global developments that influenced the emergence of modernism in Korea. Students will then investigate traditional Korean art forms—such as ceramics, textiles, architecture, and calligraphy—to understand how enduring principles of form, material, and harmony continue to inspire contemporary design. Finally, the class turns to current trends in Korean design, from lifestyle products and branding to digital interfaces and fashion, highlighting the creative intersections of technology, sustainability, and culture. 

This is an introductory-level course designed for international students from diverse backgrounds. While no prior knowledge of design is required, curiosity and active participation are encouraged. Through hands-on experiences, site visits, and reflective projects, students will gain a holistic understanding of how Korea’s design reflects its past, embraces the present, and imagines the future. 

Topics include Intro to basic design concepts, Overview of Korean history, Traditional arts and crafts in Korea, Modern Korea and the birth of Modernism, Everyday design in contemporary Korea, Global visibility of Korean aesthetics, Futures of Korean design. 

This practical application course covers the basics of conducting research in psychology and how to conduct a study on cultural psychology topics. As a unique combination of two different courses, Research Methods and Independent Study in any APA (American Psychological Association) accredited universities, this course encourages students to take advantage of their immersive cultural experience in Korea. 

Students should be prepared to bring their own phenomenon of interest to class: observations of certain individual behaviors, social systems, and cultural norms that intrigue you are the starting point. We will develop a researchable question from the phenomenon, design a study to answer the research question, collect data to test your hypothesis, and write up the entire process as a research paper. Potential opportunities to present your work for a larger audience can be provided.  

Topics include Science for descriptive and applied methods and their design, Theories and hypothesis testing in descriptive and applied research, Research question development, Ethical issues, Observational research, Measurement and measurement construction, Survey research, Single-case and small-n research, Data entry and analysis, Writing in psychology, Implications. 

Prerequisite: An Introductory or General Psychology course is required. 

This course is not for the faint-hearted. It will look at ghosts and other supernatural phenomena in multiple genres and media: spooky ghost stories, scary movies, body horror stories and films, gothic tales, “romantasies,” and stories of nostalgic haunting. 

Among the questions to be explored will be: What fears do the works provoke and examine? What kinds of longing do hauntings evoke? How might we understand the paranormal socially and psychologically? We look at selected short stories by Edgar Alan Poe, Stephen King, Mariana Enriquez, Mo Yan, Yoko Ogawa, and Bora Chung.

Films to view together (in class) and explore will include the American horror classic The Shining, the baseball fantasy Field of Dreams, the Japanese horror film Ringu, the Spanish tale of haunting and heartbreak The Orphanage, and the recent body-horror hit The Substance. The course will end with selected episodes of the K-drama Goblin. 

This course discusses and investigates major issues related to East Asian culture and religion, focusing on Confucianism, Taoism, and the Book of Changes. The course also explores the contemporary significance of East Asian philosophical traditions and comparative examinations in relation to Western philosophy. 

This course examines the multifaceted impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on contemporary society, exploring the intersection of AI's evolution with social issues such as personal identity, social relationships, privacy, surveillance, political order, the public sphere, mediatization, platformization, the attention economy, digital labor, and social polarization. Rather than uncritically embracing technology or relying on simple technological determinism, the course emphasizes the mutual shaping of AI and society.  

The course focuses on how AI creates new media environments and how individuals and communities adapt to, negotiate, and resist these changes. Students formulate critical and creative research questions suited to the AI era by engaging with diverse social theories and applying them to real-world cases. Students engage in in-depth discussions about the intricate relationship between AI and society and develop their own critical perspectives and research projects.  

Topics include AI-mediated social relationships, Interacting with AI, AI and privacy, AI and mediatization, AI and platform dependency, AI and surveillance, AI and disinformation, AI and attention economy, AI and digital labor, AI and social polarization.  

This course explores the art and visual culture of Asia from Neolithic times to the tenth century CE, with a focus on major developments in India, China, Korea, and Japan. Students will engage with a wide array of objects across diverse media—including sculpture, painting, pottery, crafts, and architecture—analyzing them not only as aesthetic forms but also as products of specific historical and cultural contexts. The overarching goal is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of key monuments and artifacts, while also introducing a range of critical approaches to studying visual culture. By the end of the course, students develop visual literacy skills and analytical tools applicable to the study of art traditions in Asia.