Jun Min Cho, Gangnam view of Hyundai apartment blocks, 20th century. Photo Jun Min Cho. Courtesy Museum of Contemporary History of Korea.
Jun Min Cho, Gangnam view of Hyundai apartment blocks, 20th century. Photo Jun Min Cho. Courtesy Museum of Contemporary History of Korea.
Ashes to Powerhouse: South Korea from the 1950s to the 2020s
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
Tickets (Member / Nonmember)
In-Person $28 / $35
Livestream $16 / $20
In 2021 the UN Conference on Trade and Development upgraded South Korea’s economy from “developing” to “developed.” Some call it the miracle on the Han River. But what really happened to cause such a transformation? Learn about the immense political, social, and economic turmoil Korea experienced throughout the 20th century—from the fall of its last dynasty 1910 and the 35 years of Japanese rule that followed to the division into North and South after liberation and the breakout of the Korean War in 1950. Discover how along the way South Korea grew from one of the world’s poorest countries to an economic and cultural powerhouse.
Sunglim Kim, associate professor, Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages, Dartmouth College
Course Packages
Purchase a ticket package for the full six-session “Korean Popular Arts and Culture” course. Please note that this option is not available after the date of the first session.
Assistive listening system
Wheelchair accessible
Ticket Information
To order tickets by phone, call 1-800-440-6975 ($6 processing fee applies); to order in person, visit any MFA ticket desk.
Livestream Tickets
The livestream ticket gives access to a live feed of the event that can be watched remotely. You must be logged in to the account used to purchase the ticket in order to access the livestream on the Video Content page. Please log in at least 5 minutes before the start of the event to test your connection.
Livestream ticket holders must watch the event live; there is no recording of the event available for viewing at a later time.