Korea
A New History of South and North
Published on 11. June 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-0-300-27870-5 (ISBN)
Description
A major new history of North and South Korea, from the late nineteenth century to the present day
"Cha and Pacheco Pardo have years of expertise in Korean international relations. . . . A crisp and balanced account."-Christopher Harding, The Telegraph
Korea has a long, riveting history-it is also a divided nation. South Korea is a vibrant democracy, the tenth largest economy, and is home to a world-renowned culture. North Korea is ruled by the most authoritarian regime in the world, a poor country in a rich region, and is best known for the cult of personality surrounding the ruling Kim family. But both Koreas share a unique common history.
Victor Cha and Ramon Pacheco Pardo draw on decades of research to explore the history of modern Korea, from the late nineteenth century, Japanese occupation, and Cold War division to the present day. A small country caught amongst the world's largest powers-including China, Japan, Russia, and the United States-Korea's fate has been closely connected to its geography and the strength of its leadership and society. This comprehensive history sheds light on the evolving identities of the two Koreas, explaining the sharp differences between North and South, and prospects for unification.
"Cha and Pacheco Pardo have years of expertise in Korean international relations. . . . A crisp and balanced account."-Christopher Harding, The Telegraph
Korea has a long, riveting history-it is also a divided nation. South Korea is a vibrant democracy, the tenth largest economy, and is home to a world-renowned culture. North Korea is ruled by the most authoritarian regime in the world, a poor country in a rich region, and is best known for the cult of personality surrounding the ruling Kim family. But both Koreas share a unique common history.
Victor Cha and Ramon Pacheco Pardo draw on decades of research to explore the history of modern Korea, from the late nineteenth century, Japanese occupation, and Cold War division to the present day. A small country caught amongst the world's largest powers-including China, Japan, Russia, and the United States-Korea's fate has been closely connected to its geography and the strength of its leadership and society. This comprehensive history sheds light on the evolving identities of the two Koreas, explaining the sharp differences between North and South, and prospects for unification.
Reviews / Votes
"Cha and Pacheco Pardo have years of expertise in Korean international relations. . . . . A crisp and balanced account."-Christopher Harding, The Telegraph"Cha and Pacheco Pardo offer a sure-footed guide to the two countries' divergent paths and their fraught fraternal relationship."-Andrew J. Nathan, Foreign Affairs
"A vivid and fast-paced account, with particular appeal to a general readership. . . . Cha and Pardo, two deeply knowledgeable Korea hands, retell the story of the modern history of Korea."-John Nilsson-Wright, Global Asia
"This is well conducted and addresses issues relating to the two countries in a balanced manner."-Remy Hemez, Politque etrange
"The hot pink cover, friendly tones, and personal anecdotes of interactions with Koreans make the book highly approachable for readers who are new to Korea, but also enjoyable for seasoned Koreanists. . . . Highly accessible and engaging."-Jay Song, Australian Outlook
"Anyone looking for a modern history of North and South Korea will find this the best available."-Brandon Palmer, Pacific Affairs
"Enjoyable, engaging, timely and often surprising. . . . The perfect starting point for anyone interested in a fascinating people, culture and part of the world."-Steven Port, Get History
"This book hums with insight and relevance. . . a tale that's both sweeping in scope and rich in detail."-Andrea Thompson, Travelling for Business
"Korea gives the answer to the lingering enigma of how two extremely different systems, one globally flying and the other falling to the bottom, have evolved from the same people-and where they will go from here. . . . A must-read."-Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary General of the UN
"A brisk, insightful narrative of the emergence of two Koreas, South and North, their diverging but intertwined paths over the past seventy-five plus years, and the prospects for reunification. . . . Foreign policy experts and K-pop fans alike will enjoy and benefit from this book."-Kathleen Stephens, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (2008-11)
"A highly readable history of the Korean peninsula. . . . A must-read to understand how one ill-informed moment in history led to an ongoing human tragedy and geopolitical challenge."-Anna Fifield, Asia-Pacific editor, Washington Post
"The authors begin their book by posing this question: 'What circumstances led the same people to live in such starkly different conditions?' This in fact is a question which often dogs casual Korea watchers. If you are one of them, this is one of the best books I can recommend to you. Among other things, it was written by two of the most qualified western observers of the two Koreas."-Ahn Ho-young, Chair Professor of North Korean Studies, Kyungnam University, and ROK Ambassador to the United States (2013-17)
"This book is a must-read for anyone interested in comprehending the curious history of the two Koreas' remarkable and 'uncanny' post-WWII resilience towards starkly divergent paths. This book will speak to not just Korea wonks and analysts, but to anyone who simply desires to get to know the peninsula better in 250 pages-from BLACKPINK fans to tourists and IR students."-Jeongmin Kim, editorial director at KOREA PRO & lead correspondent at NK News
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
33 bw illus.
Dimensions
Height: 190 mm
Width: 126 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
299 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-300-27870-5 (9780300278705)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Victor D. Cha is professor of government at Georgetown University and holds the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. He is a former director for Asian Affairs at the White House National Security Council. He received the 2023 Hubert H. Humphrey Award for notable public service from the American Political Science Association. Ramon Pacheco Pardo is professor of international relations at King's College London and the KF-VUB Korea Chair at Free University of Brussels.