Re-envisioning Modern Korean Literature as World Literature - A Pedagogical Case Study of English-Speaking Learners-

This study examined the teaching of modern Korean literature to international students and proposed its expansion from a supplementary tool for Korean language acquisition to a central component of world literature education. With the global proliferation of K-Culture, modern Korean literature has the potential to establish a distinct position as “K-content” extending beyond K-pop and K-drama. The internatioanl appeal of popular culture provides the foundation for a more rigorous literary pedagogy. This study moves beyond approaches that emphasize locality in Korean literature by instead of developing an educational model grounded in global contemporaneity and the shared sensibilities of younger generations. An analysis of Introduction to Modern Korean Literature for English-speaking learners highlights how the parallel reading of translations and originals, combined with discussion, essay writing, and field studies, fosters students’ critical thinking and interpretive capacities. Particular attention is given to the works of female authors such as Han Kang and Choi Eun-young, whose narratives simultaneously articulate universality and specificity, eliciting strong resonance among global learners. These cases demonstrate that modern Korean literature can secure an active presence in the world literature discourse through the mediations of translation, gender narratives, and contemporaneity. Ultimately, the study suggests that Korean literature not only possesses the potential for global expansion but also contributes to the creation of new educational value within world literary education.