National Symbols and Identity of Korea

Students explore the ideals of the people of Korea, their constitution and hopes for a re-unified Korea.

Investigation

1. Korean holidays
   

   1. What do Korean national holidays indicate about what the people value?
   2. Make a list of Australian national holidays. Are there similarities between these and the Korean holidays? What do they tell us about what we value?
   3. In small groups, create a new national holiday for Australia. What should it celebrate and why should it be a national holiday? Present your case.

2. The Korean constitution
   

   1. Using the description of the Constitution, create a hanging mobile which highlights aspects of the constitution.
   2. List the citizen rights that the Korean Constitution guarantees. Select one of these rights and develop a speech or presentation exploring why such a right would be important to Koreans.

3. Reunification
   

   1. Read the information provided on two websites: Korean Unification Studies and Wikipedia's Division of Korea. When and why did North and South Korea divide?

   2. Create an annotated timeline which shows how views about reunification have changed over time. Show the changing perspectives of South Korea on one side and North Korea on the other. What factors might prevent the reunification of North and South Korea? Creatively display the current perspectives of countries such as the USA, China, Japan and Russia.

   3. Design a reunification banner or emblem, to be used at all government meetings, using the policy slogan: 'peace, reconciliation and cooperation' as the motto of the emblem.
   4. Draw a diagram which illustrates the programs of the North-South Agreement.
   5. In small groups, discuss and outline what national symbols would need to change in the event of reunification. Consider what new national symbols could be adopted to reflect a reunified Korea?
4. Extension Activity

The Korean war: an artist’s view has activities designed for students in English and Social Education classes.

Extra resources

The Korean War and Its Aftermath is written for US students and contains background information.

Comparing War Monuments is written for US students and provides opportunities to compare how countries use monuments for a range of purposes.

Additional resources about this topic can be found on pp16-19 of Voices and Values: Citizenship in Asia.