LESSON 2: About Korea, South Korea, North Korea • " Students are required to go to elementary and middle
school, and do not have to pay for their education, except
In this lesson, you will know all about Korea ̶ it
religion, cuisine, language, education system,
sports, music, and traditional clothing.
Hangul - Korean alphabet in South Korea
Chosŏn'gŭl - Korean alphabet in North Korea
Hapkido- a modern Korean martial art
Ssireum- a traditional form of wrestling in Korea
Jeogori- a short jacket in hanbok
ABOUT KOREA
• Located in East Asia
• Called the “Land of the morning calm”
• Modern spelling of “COREA” a name attested in
English as early as 1614, “KOREA” 19th century
• 84, 616 sq. mi the area of Korea
• 2.8 % is the rate of water in Korea
• Divided into two distinct sovereign states
1 = South Korea or the Republic of Korea
2 = North Korea or Democratic People’s Republic of • Consists primarily of universal and state-funded schooling
Korea
LANGUAGE
o Korean is the official language of both North and
South Korea
o Worldwide, there are up to 80 million speakers
of the Korean language
o Korean has borrowed much vocabulary from the
Chinese or created vocabulary on Chinese
models.
o Korean is written almost exclusively in the script
of the Korean alphabet (known as Hangul in
South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea)
SOUTH KOREA
• Seoul – Capital and the Largest City/51 million-
Population
• Korean pop (Kpop) and Korean series and movies
• Jeju Island, Mount Seorak, and Gyeongbokgung
palace
• Famous for their products like Samsung etc. and • Believe that the taste and quality of food depend on its
cosmetic products popularized by the Korean
stars/ actress
EDUCATION SYSTEM IN SOUTH KOREA
• Consists of 6 years in elementary school, 3 years
in middle school, and three years in high school • Influenced by geography and climate therefore there are
for a small fee called a "School Operation Support Fee"
• The Programme for International Student Assessment,
coordinated by the OECD, ranks South Korea's science
education as the third-best in the world
• South Korea ranks second on math and literature and first in
problem-solving
NORTH KOREA
• Pyongyang – Capital City / 25 Million/Population
• Korean descent and small communities of ethnic Chinese
and Japanese are also found in North Korea
• The world's 4th tallest flagpole flying a 270kg. flag. It is
160m in height, over Kijŏngdong "Peace village", near
Panmunjom in the Korean Demilita
EDUCATION SYSTEM IN NORTH KOREA
• Children go through one year of kindergarten, four years of
primary education, six years of secondary education, and
then on to universities
by the government
• The national literacy rate for citizens 15 years of age and
above is over 99 percent . The most prestigious university is
Kim Il-sung University
RELIGION IN KOREA
• Confucian tradition has dominated Korean thought, along
with contributions by Buddhism, Taoism, and Korean
Shamanism
• Has competed with Buddhism in South Korea, while
religious practice has been suppressed in North Korea
• The influence of traditional beliefs of Korean Shamanism,
Mahayana Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism have
remained an underlying religion of the Korean people as
well as a vital aspect of their culture; all these traditions
have coexisted peacefully for hundreds of years up to today
despite strong Westernization from Christian missionary
conversions in the South Korea
CUISINE IN KOREA
spices and sauces the essential ingredients to making a
delicious meal
• Soybean paste, soy sauce, gochujang or red pepper paste,
and kimchi are some of the most important staples in a
Korean household
many fermented dishes and hot soups and stews.
 SPORTS
1. Football remains one of the most popular sports
in South Korea
2. Baseball is popular in Seoul and they have three
teams
3. Taekwondo is one of Korea's most famous sports
4. Hapkido is a modern Korean martial art with a
grappling focus that employs joint locks, throws,
kicks, punches, and other striking attacks like
attacks against pressure points.
5. Ssireum is a traditional form of wrestling that has
been practiced in Korea for thousands of years,
with evidence discovered from Goguryeo of
Korea's Three Kingdoms Period.
LESSON 3: JAPANESE LITERATURE
o Haiku- a poem that includes three lines 17
syllables.
o Tanka- a poem that has 31 syllables and 5 lines
o Zuihitsu- an essay that contains personal notes
about the surroundings of the author.
INTRODUCTION TO JAPANESE LITERATURE
• Japan - a country lying off the east coast of Asia,
is known to be the Land of the Rising Sun”.
• Japan is a developed country that is famous for
many of its inventions that have advanced
technology.
• This country is not only rich with its modern
inventions but also with its literature.
• Japanese literature is one of the major literatures
in Asia that is comparable to English literature
based on its age, richness, and volume.
• Japanese literature can be traced back using the
classical Chinese language wherein poetry,
drama, and novel were not only the prominent
genres used but also the diaries, travel accounts,
and books of random thoughts.
• Mostly, these Japanese writings expressed
gratitude towards tradition and sympathy to
nature, that is why short stories and novels
commonly depict elements that are real to
Japanese lives since that is how they connect
smoothly with their tradition. Same with their
poetry that commonly focuses on nature.
BEGINNING OF JAPANESE LITERATURE
• When the Japanese had the transition from
Chinese symbols to their writing system,
their varieties of literature came to be.
• The haiku started to flourish as a genre of poetry.
• Illustrations were made for fictional stories and novels
since fiction is viewed for entertainment purposes only
because Japanese literary expression died down during
World War 2, thus making people have no interest in
understanding the issues of fictional works.
• Two of the oldest Japanese literature that exist are
➢ The Record of Ancient Matters (A.D. 712) and
➢ The Chronicles of Japan (720), and both of them
contain many literary forms.
• For example, the Man’yoshu, a collection of Japanese
poetry that has over 4000 poems written by different
poets. Most of its content shows the 31-syllable tanka
which is also a famous type of poem together with haiku.
FOUR PERIOD OF JAPANESE LITERATURE
1) Ancient Literature (until 794)
• Mostly deals with Japanese legends and myths such as
Kojiki taught by O no Yamasuro, Nihon Shoki (720) that
is partly-based on real historical events, and Man’yoshu.
2) Classical Literature (794-1185) –
• Also known as the Heian Period wherein nobles were
the ones who wrote and read literature.
• Buddhist ideas were introduced and Japanese poetries
are discussed in a serious tone.
Example works:
• Tale of Genji or Genji Monogatari written by Murasaki
Shikibu – world’s first novel
• Taketori Monogatari – one of the first examples of
proto-science fiction
• Kokin Wakashu or Kokinshu – collection of poems
3) Medieval Literature (1185-1603) Educated warrior class
began to write and read literature, thus resulting to rise of
war tales since many civil wars happened during this time.
• The emergence of renga which is known as a genre of
Japanese poetry.
Example works:
• Heike Monogatari – deals with the struggles between two
powerful Japanese clans.
4) Modern Literature (1603-)
– this is further divided into early modern and modern
literature.
4.1 Edo Period (Early Modern Period)
• the rise of many genres such as kabuki, haiku or hokku, and
yomihon .
• The drama, theater, art, and literature surged because of
increasing literacy rates in Japan
 4.2 Meiji Period (Modern Period) TANKA
• Western influences were welcomed to modernize ▪ It originated back in the 7th century wherein it is the
the country. preferred verse form by the Japanese Imperial court and
• The wood blocking printed was changed into other nobles.
print pressing. ▪ Tanka is translated as a “short song” that is characterized
• Photography was introduced. by 5 lines and a total of 31 syllables (5-7-5-7-7).
• Writings were characterized with new style such ▪ One of the master writers of tanka is Masaoka Shiki.
as romanticism introduced by Mori Ogai. Below is a translated tanka that she wrote:
“The bucket’s water
FAMOUS JAPANESE LITERARY GENRES poured out and gone
HAIKU drop by drop
▪ It started as an opening line of renga during the dew drops like pearls
13th century which is generally a hundred from the autumn flowers”
stanzas long and composed of syllabication. ZUIHITSU
▪ The shorter haiku that we know today was just a ▪ A Japanese literary genre that is like a lyric essay consists
version that emerged during the 16th century of casual and loosely connected fragments and ideas.
and was mastered by the classic haiku writer, ▪ It contains random thoughts or personal notes about the
Matsuo Basho. surroundings of the author.
▪ The structure of haiku changed into a much ▪ The work of Sei Shonagon’s The Pillow Book is a good
shorter version and only follows a 5- 7-5 example.
syllabication.
▪ However, the philosophy of haiku has been
preserved: the focus on a brief moment in time;
the use of provocative, colorful images; an ability
to be read in one breath; and a sense of sudden
enlightenment.
Example:
An old silent pond,
A frog jumps into the pond,
Splash! Silence again.