Politics and Korean
Politics and Korean is a combination that puts you at the intersection of political analysis and one of the most strategically significant language regions in the world. Politics develops the frameworks needed to understand how power is organised, how governments operate, how international relations are shaped, and how political ideas evolve and contest one another. Korean is the language of the Korean peninsula, a region of extraordinary economic vitality and geopolitical complexity, home to a global technology and cultural powerhouse in South Korea and one of the most closely studied states in international relations in North Korea.
At the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, this four-year full-time programme combines degree-level study of political science with serious language learning and cultural engagement in Korean. SOAS is one of the few institutions in the UK where Korean can be studied to a high level, and its research and teaching in Korean studies is internationally recognised. Your politics studies will cover political theory, comparative politics, international relations, and political economy, giving you the analytical tools to understand how political systems work and interact.
Your Korean studies will develop you from foundational competence toward advanced proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing, alongside engagement with Korean history, society, and culture. The programme includes a foundation year as part of its four-year structure, providing entry for students who need additional preparation before engaging with the full degree.
The combination of political analysis and East Asian language expertise is highly valued in careers that engage with Asia-Pacific affairs.
Graduates go on to careers in diplomacy, international organisations, government, journalism, business development in Korean-connected markets, research, and think tanks. SOAS graduates are particularly well placed for roles in organisations with a focus on Asia or the developing world. Postgraduate study in Korean studies, international relations, or political science is a natural route.