A Concise History of Modern Korea: From the Late Nineteenth Century to the PresentThis comprehensive and balanced history of modern Korea explores the social, economic, and political issues it has faced since being catapulted into the wider world at the end of the nineteenth century. Placing this formerly insular society in a global context, Michael J. Seth describes how this ancient, culturally and ethnically homogeneous society first fell victim to Japanese imperialist expansionism, and then was arbitrarily divided in half after World War II. Seth traces the postwar paths of the two Koreas with different political and social systems and different geopolitical orientations as they evolved into sharply contrasting societies. South Korea, after an unpromising start, became one of the few postcolonial developing states to enter the ranks of the first world, with a globally competitive economy, a democratic political system, and a cosmopolitan and dynamic culture. By contrast, North Korea became one of the world's most totalitarian and isolated societies, a nuclear power with an impoverished and famine-stricken population. Considering the radically different and historically unprecedented trajectories of the two Koreas, Seth assesses the insights they offer for understanding not only modern Korea but the broader perspective of world history." |
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Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Korea 18761910 | 9 |
Colonial Korea 19101945 | 43 |
Division and War 19451953 | 83 |
North Korea 19531993 | 117 |
South Korea from Poverty to Prosperity 19531997 | 149 |
South KoreaCreating a Democratic Society 19531997 | 181 |
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activities administration agricultural American Army Asia became began campaign century Ch'oe chaebols China Chinese Chun colonial Communist Confucian country's created cultural democracy Democratic DPRK early economic development economic growth effort elections elite established exports farmers forces foreign groups guerilla important independence industrial Japan Japanese juche Kabo Reforms Kim Dae Jung Kim II Sung Kim Jong Kim Young Kim Young Sam Kojong Korean government Korean nation Korean War Korean Workers labor land late leaders leadership Liberal major Manchuria military million modern movement National Assembly nationalist North Korea nuclear officials organized P'yongyang Park Chung Hee Party peasants percent political population president radical rean reform regime rice rule Russian schools Seoul social society South Soviet Union Syngman Rhee tion trade traditional troops United University Press USAMGIK Western women yangban