Film Studies and Korean

Film Studies and Korean is a combination that reflects one of the most significant cultural developments in global cinema and media of the past two decades. South Korean cinema has achieved extraordinary international recognition, and Korean popular culture, from music and television drama to webtoons and gaming, has become a global phenomenon that is reshaping how audiences engage with non-Anglophone media. Studying film and Korean together at SOAS places you at the intersection of two disciplines that are natural partners for understanding this phenomenon, and gives you the linguistic and analytical tools to engage with Korean screen culture in genuine depth.

At the School of Oriental and African Studies, this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, providing structured academic preparation before the full degree curriculum. You will study Film Studies using a range of critical, theoretical and historical approaches, examining global cinema including, but not restricted to, Korean and broader Asian film traditions. Your Korean language studies develop progressively, moving from the foundations of the language towards competence in reading, writing, speaking and listening that allows engagement with Korean cultural material in the original.

The combination of film theory and area studies expertise that SOAS brings to this programme makes it internationally distinctive.

Graduates are well placed for careers in journalism, cultural institutions, broadcasting, film programming and curation, education, international relations, and the creative industries. The combination of film analytical skills and Korean language competence is particularly valuable in a global media environment where Korean content continues to gain audience and industry attention. Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in film studies, Korean studies, media, or area studies, some developing research careers in the rapidly growing field of Korean and Asian screen studies.