Korean a Literature Past Papers 2026

IB Korean a Literature is a Group 1 Studies in Language and Literature subject offered to students whose first language or heritage language is Korean. Korean is spoken by approximately 77 million in South Korea, North Korea, and Korean diaspora communities worldwide. Korean literature has a tradition spanning over 1,000 years, from classical sijo poetry to the golden age of joseon-era literature. Modern Korean literature, shaped by Japanese colonial rule, division, and rapid industrialisation, has gained major international attention in recent decades. Students who sit this course bring a deep cultural connection to the language, and examiners expect engagement with the literary and cultural context of Korean-language texts.

The IB Korean a Literature curriculum requires students to study a range of texts — poetry, prose, and drama — drawn from the Korean literary tradition. Distinguished voices such as Han Kang (Nobel laureate), Yi Sang, Pak Kyongni are representative of the kinds of authors and works that may be studied. Past papers for this subject include Paper 1 (textual commentary) and Paper 2 (comparative literary essay).