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Security in Korea:How to be Obivious and Make Money at It
This book isn't fresh.It rehashes what any high school history student could tell you, General Douglas MacArthur wasn't the man that brought the Korean "Conflict" to it's logical conclusion.It puts a focus on the man that turned the war around, General Matthew Ridgway. ... Read more

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At the turn of the second millennium, Koreans face multiple challenges at home and abroad. South Korea is still in the throes of democratization and economic reforms, while North Korea faces food shortages and other economic difficulties. The two Koreas need to manage the unification process so as to bring about national harmony and promote economic prosperity. The Korean people need to devise a new security strategy for a unified Korea to ensure its survival and independence in the early 21st century. This collection is divided into three parts, and each addresses an important issue area confronting the Korean people in the 21st century. Part I examines South Korea's democratization and economic reforms against the backdrop of the East Asian financial crisis. Part II discusses the problems and prospects for inter-Korean relations and the characteristics of North Korea's foreign policy behavior. Part III analyses South Korea's security relations with the four major powers at the turn of the new millennium. All chapters are written by renowned experts in their fields and offer valuable insights into the dynamics of the two Korean's domestic politics and foreign policy. ... Read more

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This comprehensive collection of facsimile documents contains all available diplomatic reports regarding Korea that are housed in the British National Archives. From the documents it can be seen that the modern history and status of Korea was dependent upon the rivalries between, and the comparative strengths of, the three countries that lay adjacent to Korea - Russia, China and Japan. After the Second World War, the vacuum caused by the elimination of Japan meant that the Soviet Union, the USA and Communist China now vied for influence in Korea, and the post-1945 division of the peninsula into North and South Korea and the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 are symbols of that rivalry. The communist - capitalist struggle for hegemony within Korea is the defining issue issue from the armistice in 1953 to the final report in this collection in 1970. ... Read more

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The United States has a long-maintained strong affiliation with South Korea. On the other hand, North Korea, a country on President Bush's 'axis of evil' list, and the United States have been negotiating for years about preventing North Korea from producing weapons of mass destruction. Under the current conditions, the United States sends aid to North Korea each year and in return North Korea does not build these weapons. Are we being blackmailed and are we entirely sure they are sticking to their end of the bargain? This book discusses North Korea's military capabilities and the desperate attempt by the United States to curtail that progress. Also this book will address the struggle of democracy happening in South Korea, along with the United States' role in that effort. ... Read more

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Whether it's the Vatican addressing its role in the Second World War or the United States atoning for its treatment of native Hawai'ian islanders, apologizing for history has become a standard feature of the international political scene. As Alexis Dudden makes clear, interrogating this process is crucial to understanding the value of the political apology to the state. When governments apologize for past crimes, they take away the substance of apology that victims originally wanted for themselves. They rob victims of the dignity they seek while affording the state a new means with which to legitimize itself.

Examining the interplay between political apology and apologetic history, Dudden focuses on the problematic relationship binding Japanese imperialism, South Korean state building, and American power in Asia. She examines this history through diplomatic, cultural, and social considerations in the postwar era and argues that the process of apology has created a knot from which none of these countries can escape without undoing decades of mythmaking.

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The South Korean opposition leader who spent much of the time between 1973 and 1979 in prison or under house arrest shares his views on Korea's history, culture, and politics, andhis own destiny. ... Read more

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Minjok e han eh ango
A prison wrtings, mostly letters the current president of south Korea sent to his family members while he was incarcerated.It shows the depth of President Kim's Christian faith, and his faith in human nature. ... Read more

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A collection of ten essays written by leading Koreanistsand scholars of Korean film. ... Read more

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Quite an outdated book about Im Kwon-taek
The last movie mentioned by the author is Tae-baek Mountains, but "Chun-hyang" seems to be too new for the author already, not to mention the "Chwi-hwa-seon" as well.But it gives us some knowledge about the idea of Im's movie.Quite good if you are facinated by Im's movie and want to know more about him, especially his past. ... Read more

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In 1979-80, Korean President Park Chung Hee was assassinated, a newstrongman seized power, student protests were crushed, and military brutality in Kwangju Cityprovoked a massive uprising.Despite a powerful military and economic presence, the UnitedStates did not respond with major sanctions for fear of endangering South Korea's security. Koreans eventually accommodated themselves to the new regime, as did the United States. Deeply engaged but only marginally effective, the U.S. role disappointed some reformers andoften angered upstart leaders.

Using extensive documentation, William H. Gleysteen Jr. (U.S. Ambassador duringthat period) examines how President Jimmy Carter's troop withdrawal and human rightspolicies--conceived in abstraction from East Asian realities--contributed to Park's demise.Hereviews U.S. behavior in the subsequent crisis, discussing such problems as inadequateintelligence, the dilemma of military and economic leverage too powerful to use, theconstraints of constitutional authority, and the dangers of dealing with authorities whomonopolize local communications and shamelessly distort the truth.The author suggests thatsome lessons are relevant beyond Korea, for example, in our treatment of human rightsproblems in China today. ... Read more

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The Art of Diplomacy
This is an authoritative analysis of one of the most turbulent periods in U.S.-Korean relations and an enlightening memoir by one of America's top career ambassadors and China experts. After a somewhat slow introduction(probably necessary for readers short on historical knowledge), the bookmarches along smartly in an exciting first-person narrative filled withdramatic events, struggles of will, and diplomatic efforts to save a flawedAmerican policy, to foster democracy abroad, and to save the life of aforeign statesman. Should be read by all interested in the art ofdiplomacy, the Korean transition to democracy, or the practice and limitsof U.S. influence. ... Read more

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Review of a review
I actually fact-checked for a scholarly book review on this book, and in doing so read the book as well.As someone with only vague knowledge of the history of the two Koreas, it was an informative book on the history of the divide and the various policies the countries have faced, including the somewhat intrusive role of the U.S.I read this book just as North Korea tested its first nuclear weapons in October of 2006.I highly recommend this book not only to those interested in North Korea or East Asian politics, but to everyone.According to the book, the situation is not one that will easily be resolved. ... Read more

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The promise of change on the Korean peninsula opens newissues and challenges for U.S.-Korea relations.This includesPyongyang's likely strategy of trying to split Washington, Tokyo, andSeoul over the pace and timing of security arrangements (includingnuclear inspections implementation), economic assistance, andpolitical-level dialogue.This is the second volume in a three- partseries of reports by different specialists on economic and nuclearproliferation issues. ... Read more

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Cutting edge study of Nationalism and Korea
This book will appeal to anyone who is interested in cutting edge scholarship on the history of modern South Korea and more broadly, on Nationalism and Nation-building. Jager succinctly and brilliantly pulls together the dispersed and disparate strands of how a nation develops a modern conception of its identity. In the case of South Korea the focus is on the gendered aspect of that identity, which is not only rooted in tradition but also in new narrative conceptions of that tradition. By taking a long and broad view of the dispersed development of these parallel and gendered narratives of modern identity (long because Jager's account covers the whole of the 20th century, and broad because she delves into literature, politics, historiography, economic development, and monuments and museums), Jager is able to show why South Koreans are who they are today with the kind of social structure that comprises its modern nation. Although this book is invaluable in the insights it provides to South Korean national identity, the true value of the book lies in providing a new approach to the study of national identity that can be applied to just about any other modern nation. This book is a must for the specialist and the generalist, the particularist and the theorist, in all fields of the humanities and the social sciences. ... Read more

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This text provides an accurate, balanced and readable history of Korea from 1909 to the present day, providing an invaluable one-volume resource for all students of modern Korean history. ... Read more

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A unique explanation of the development of Korean social policy using the concepts of 'policy idea', 'policy network' and 'policy-linkages' to examine the causes, patterns and consequences of state interventions in the economy and social affairs. ... Read more

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This book, briefly examining the history, people, culture, customs, economy, sports and other aspects of Korea, attempts to present a concise overview of Korea's time-honored legacy, modern achievements and the current direction of the Republic's nation-building. Because of its up-to-date information, wide coverage and general practicability, it should help visitors to Korea.

Korean Overseas Information Service is an organization of the Republic of Korea.

70 color photos with map. ... Read more

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pocket-sized, but complete ...
I have been asked to introduce my country, Korea to a team of young professionals who will be sent to South Korea by a local Rotary Club.Preparing the presentation I found this small book.This book is pocket-sized, but has complete and up-to-date information about geography, history, culture, economy, tourism, and other aspects of Korea with a full of color photos and illustrations.If you are planning to travel to Korea, or just enjoy learning other countries, this book should be a part of your collection. ... Read more

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This collection of essays by noted scholars of Asian security examines the perspectives and interests of North and South Korea, the United States, China, Russia and Japan regarding North Korea's future, including the possibility of neutrality. ... Read more

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Big Brother, Little Brother provides a fascinating case study of the impact of American culture on South Korea during the Johnson administration. ... Read more

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Old Seoul reconstructs for the reader the city as it was in the last decades of the nineteenth century, when it evolved from being the closed capital of the "Hermit Kingdom" into the international city that it is today. ... Read more

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Lee offers a rare eyewitness account of Korea's recent chaotic, and frequently violent journey to democracy. He offers informed observations on Korea's three famous Kims and Roh Tae-woo, and of the dramatic political events leading to the presidential election in December 1987 and the parliamentary elections in April 1988. Lee also examines the formation of a super-ruling party. Readers will benefit from Lee's presence in the offices of the presidential candidates and from his conversations with leaders directly responsible for the fate of Korean democracy. Knowing what happened in Korean politics during the past three years is prerequisite to understanding the decline of Korea's repressive authoritarian system. ... Read more