Kyunghee Eo

Assistant Professor of East Asian Languages & Literatures

Council on East Asian Studies

Research Interests:

Modern Korean Literature & Culture; Korean Cinema & Popular Culture; Feminist & Queer Theory

Humanities Quadrangle, Room 112

kyunghee.eo@yale.edu

Website

Courses

Gender and Sexuality in Korean Literature and Film

EALL 274

In this course, students explore how cultural representations of gender and sexuality in Korea and the Korean diaspora have changed over the twentieth century. Primary sources include literary texts, narrative and documentary films, as well as scholarship on themes and historical context relevant to the materials. We begin by exploring how gendered selfhood in Korea was constructed in relation to the colonial modernization process in the first half of the twentieth century. We then move onto stories of how women and men survived the Cold War, developmentalist, and dictatorial regimes of South Korea from 1945 to 87. In the last segment of the course, we focus our attention to voices from the contemporary moment, to examine how present-day Koreans of various gender and sexual identities contend with the challenges of an increasingly neoliberalizing social order.

All class materials are in English translation, and no previous knowledge of the Korean language is required.

Spring 2025

T 3:30 PM - 5:20 PM

Gender and Sexuality in Korean Literature and Film

EALL 574

In this course, students explore how cultural representations of gender and sexuality in Korea and the Korean diaspora have changed over the course of the twentieth century. Primary sources include literary texts, narrative and documentary films, as well as scholarship on themes and historical context relevant to the materials. We begin by exploring how gendered selfhood in Korea was constructed in relation to the colonial modernization process in the first half of the twentieth century. We then move onto stories of how women and men survived the Cold War and developmentalist and dictatorial regimes of South Korea from 1945 to 1987. In the last segment of the course, we focus our attention to voices from the contemporary moment, to examine how present-day Koreans of various gender and sexual identities are contending with the challenges of an increasingly neoliberalizing social order.

Seminar

Spring 2025

T 3:30 PM - 5:20 PM

Queer East Asian Studies

EALL 808

In this graduate seminar, we explore cultural representations of non-normative sexualities and gender variance produced in East Asia and its diaspora and survey the scholarly field that is broadly referred to as “queer East Asian studies.” The materials in this course include primary sources such as poetry, fiction, narrative and documentary films, as well as critical writings on LGBTQ history, culture, and activism in Japan, Korea, and the Sinophone world.

Seminar

Fall 2024

T 3:30 PM - 5:20 PM

Studies in Korean Popular Culture

EALL 353

This advanced undergraduate seminar examines the dissemination, visibility, and prominence of Korean popular culture within and outside its national borders. We spend time exploring a wide variety of cultural forms such as music, film, television, fashion, performance, and new media from the early twentieth century to the present-day moment, focusing our attention on the following questions: How did Korean cultural values and historical experiences shape the content, style, and aesthetics of contemporary Korean popular culture? What is the ideological, economic, and socio-political function of popular culture in South Korea today? What makes Korean popular culture attractive to a global audience who are not necessarily familiar with the Korean language and culture? In answering these questions, we examine Korean popular culture against major historical events that took place in Korea over the twentieth century such as Japanese occupation and the Korean War, as well as the military dictatorships, democratization, and neoliberalization of South Korea. On top of conventional research writing assignments, students are also expected to produce creative essays reflecting on their own relationship with Korean popular culture and present them in class.

Students are not expected to be deeply familiar with Korean history, but some level of familiarity with Korean culture and language is helpful.

Seminar

Spring

M 3:30 PM - 5:20 PM

Topics in Modern Korean Literature

EALL 269

In this course, students read key works of Korean literature in English translation from the early twentieth century to the present day. The specific course topic varies by semester. Primary sources include long-form novels, short stories, poetry, and nonfiction writing by representative authors, as well as literary scholarship on themes and historical context relevant to the materials. The readings in this course are arranged in roughly chronological order, requiring us to examine Korea’s colonial modernization process in the first half of the twentieth century, the authoritarian regimes of South Korea from 1948 to 87, and South Korea’s integration into the neoliberal world order after democratization. Supplementary audio-visual materials such as artwork, video clips and music may be presented to students in class.

All class materials are in English translation, and no previous knowledge of Korean language is required.

Seminar

Fall 2024

M 1:30 PM - 3:20 PM

Topics in Modern Korean Literature

EALL 569

In this course, students read key works of Korean literature in English translation from the early twentieth century to the present day. The specific course topic varies by term. Primary sources include long-form novels, short stories, poetry, and nonfiction writing by representative authors, as well as literary scholarship on themes and historical context relevant to the materials. The readings in this course are arranged in roughly chronological order, requiring us to examine Korea’s colonial modernization process in the first half of the twentieth century, the authoritarian regimes of South Korea from 1948 to 1987, and South Korea’s integration into the neoliberal world order after democratization.

Supplementary audio-visual materials such as artwork, video clips and music may be presented to students in class. All class materials are in English translation, and no previous knowledge of Korean language is required.

Seminar

Fall 2024

M 1:30 PM - 3:20 PM