The community is invited to join Lander University and the Arts Center of Greenwood for the third installment of the 2024-25 Community Lecture Series Tuesday, November 12. Dr. Franklin Rausch, professor of history at Lander, will give a lecture titled “Understanding South Korea.” Rausch’s talk is a sequel to his popular lecture from last year’s series, “Understanding North Korea.” The lecture will begin at 6 p.m. at the Arts Center of Greenwood, with complimentary refreshments and a cash bar opening at 5:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The Republic of Korea (popularly known as South Korea) went from one of the poorest countries in the world following the Korean War (1950 – 1953) to one of the wealthiest. Moreover, despite its small size, the ROK has a global reach—an American citizen can drive a KIA while listening to K-Pop using a Samsung phone.

In “Understanding South Korea,” Dr. Rausch will explain why South Korea, in contrast to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (popularly known as North Korea), decided to engage with the global world, how that engagement led to both economic success and political freedom, how that combination led to its global reach, and current problems facing the country today.

Rausch is a Professor of History at Lander University. He earned his M.A. in Asian studies at Indiana University and his Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. His research focuses on Korean history, particularly religion and violence.

Please visit www.lander.edu/events for updates and to confirm event times and venues. For questions, please contact Assistant Provost Dr. Mark Rollins at 864-388-8563 or [email protected].