The Koreas

by Mary E. Connor (Editor)

Overview

Asia in Focus: The Koreas is the most complete, accessible, and up-to-date resource available on both North Korea and South Korea.

Asia in Focus: The Koreas presents an authoritative and unprecedented look at the contrasts and similarities between the history, geography, politics, economy, culture, and society of North Korea and South Korea. It offers a wealth of new insights into North Korean life, as well as extensive explorations of Korean music, arts, language, cuisine, and popular culture, including the "Korean wave," which began with the export of Korean television dramas to other parts of Asia and has spread South Korean culture around the world. Also included are sections on women's history and roles, class and ethnicity, and a wide range of contemporary issues.

For a deeper understanding of one of the most closely watched regions of the globe, this volume is a must.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781598841602
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/30/2009
Series:	Nations in Focus
Pages:	528
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 1.50(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Mary E. Connor is president and co-founder of the Korea Academy for Educators, San Marino, CA. Her published works include ABC-CLIO's The Koreas: A Global Studies Handbook.

Table of Contents

	Series Editor's Foreword	xi
	Preface	xiii
	Map	xvii
Part 1	Narrative Section	1
1	Geography and History	3
	The Physical and Human Geography	4
	Early Korea	9
	The Three Kingdoms	10
	Unified Silla	13
	The Koryo Dynasty	16
	Early Koryo	16
	Later Koryo	17
	The Choson Dynasty	20
	The Early Period: 1392 to the Seventeenth Century	20
	A Nation in Transition: The Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and Nineteenth Centuries	26
	The Opening of Korea, Attempts at Reform, and National Peril	29
	The Tonghak Struggle, War, and the Kabo Reforms	32
	The Independence Movement, Modernization, War, and Annexation	33
	The Colonial Period	35
	The First Phase of Japanese Rule	35
	The Second Phase of Colonial Rule	38
	The Third Phase of Japanese Occupation and World War II	40
	Liberation, Division, and the Beginnings of the Cold War	43
	The Korean War	48
	Divided Korea: The South Korean Experience	51
	The First and Second Republics	51
	The Third and Fourth Republics	52
	The Fifth Republic	53
	The Sixth Republic	54
	Civilian Government, Kim Young Sam	55
	Kim Dae-jung	56
	Divided Korea: The North Korean Experience	57
	Korea's Place in the World	60
2	Economic Development since 1945	65
	South Korea	65
	Precolonial Influences through Japanese Occupation	66
	Liberation, the Korean War, and the Early Republic	66
	Rapid Economic Growth and the State as Entrepreneur	69
	New Industries, Inflation, and Urban Problems	74
	The Role of the United States and Economic Development in Korea	76
	The Role of Japan in Economic Development	78
	Economic Stability, Social Equity, and Labor Militancy	79
	The World Stage	84
	Failed Reform and Increased Labor Agitation	87
	The Economic Collapse	90
	Economic Restructuring	90
	More Problems in the Restructuring Process	94
	The Impact of the Crisis on Foreign Policy	95
	The Korean Economy: Current Conditions and Prospects for the Future	96
	North Korea	99
	Economic Development: 1948-1965	100
	Economic Development: 1965-1994	102
	Recent Economic Development and Prospects	104
3	Political Development since 1945	109
	The Impact of Tradition on Political Development	110
	The Impact of the Japanese Colonial Period on Contemporary Life	111
	The Impact of U.S. and Soviet Occupation and the Korean War on Political Development	112
	A Divided People: The South Korean Experience	114
	The First Republic	114
	The Second Republic and the Military Revolution	118
	Military Rule and the Third and Fourth Republics	120
	Political Turmoil	126
	The Fifth Republic	129
	The Sixth Republic	134
	The Seventh Republic	137
	The Eighth Republic	146
	A Divided People: The North Korean Experience	154
	After the Summit: Concerns and Prospects	157
4	Contemporary Culture and Social Problems	163
	Rapid Change and the Persistence of Tradition	163
	South Korea	164
	The Family	164
	The Status of Women	167
	South Korea: An Education Society	172
	Historical Background	172
	Contemporary Education	173
	The Need for Educational Reforms	176
	Philosophy and Religion	178
	Shamanism and Daoism	179
	Confucianism	180
	Buddhism	181
	Christianity	186
	The "Newly Rising Religions"	188
	This-Worldly Orientation of Korean Religions	189
	The Persistence of Confucianism	189
	Current Religious Trends and the Issue of Reunification	190
	Traditional and Popular Culture	190
	The Youth Culture	197
	Sports and Recreation	198
	North Korea	199
	The North Korean Perspective	200
	The Political Culture	201
	North Korean Society	202
	Education	204
	Religion	205
	North Korean Defectors	205
Part 2	Reference Materials	209
	Chronological Table	211
	Significant People, Places, and Events	215
	Korean Language, Food, and Etiquette	241
	The Written Language	242
	The Spoken Language	244
	Food	246
	Common Korean Dishes	247
	Common Beverages	249
	Etiquette	250
	How Not to Succeed in Korea	250
	How to Behave Well and Succeed Harmoniously in Korea	250
	Organisations	257
	Government Organizations	257
	Business and Economic Organizations	259
	United States Korea Trade Centers	262
	Culture/Education/Exchange Organizations	263
	Tourism Organizations	270
	Korean-American Organizations	271
	Annotated Bibliography of Recommended Works on Korea	275
	Index	287
	About the Author	307

Editorial Reviews

. . . a top pick for high school to college-level libraries strong in Asian studies.” —Midwest Book Review

“Scholars of history, literature, music, business, art, and language team up to introduce North Korea and South Korea to general readers, especially young readers, and provide a reference for people planning to travel to Asia or to help teachers incorporate the countries into their curriculum. They examine the geography from prehistory time to the present, contemporary government and politics, the economy, and contemporary issues such as the younger generation and the information age. Sections on society and culture also consider such dimensions as social classes and ethnicity, women and marriage, etiquette, literature, food, and leisure and sport.” —Reference & Research Book News

“The Koreas offers chapters on geography, history, government, economy, society, culture, and contemporary issues. The discussion of history, in particular, is extremely thorough. The book offers a shared history of North and South Korea until the division of the peninsula occurred, following World War II. Thereafter, separate histories are presented. . . . The series is highly recommended for college and university collections as well as public libraries. . . .Good indexes, bibliographies, and lists of online sources, as well as chronologies, all add to the volumes' usefulness. The Global Studies Handbook series has been a good collection of titles covering a number of countries around the world. This expanded and more thorough series will only enhance the use.” —Booklist

“The Koreas introduces an often politically important area, with timely information written by chapter contributors who each have strong academic and expert research credentials. . . . This book would be appropriate for college libraries; large urban public libraries should consider it as well.” —ARBAonline

“""Overall, both books nicely describe the main features of those countries and provide a valuable resource for travelers, businesspeople, and beginning students. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates, general readers, and professionals."

This title has been reviewed jointly with "Japan," by Lucien Ellington.” —Choice

“"The Koreas was written with teachers in mind, but its in-depth and timely material offers business people, non-governmental organization (NGO) workers, military personnel, and anybody who intends to travel here an informative handbook for survival and success. The comprehensive, authoritative survey of Korean history will attract post-secondary Asian history scholars to consider this publication as a course textbook. . . . engaging and accessible . . . this resource may be our best hope for comprehending a region that is increasingly catching world attention. Academics, Koreaphiles, travelers, and anybody with a stake in this part of Asia will greatly appreciate Mary Connor's contribution. Her book offers a sound and thoroughly researched survey of Korea's fascinating history and vividly shares with us its enduring magnificence. . . . Exceptionally well researched, thoughtful, and highly practical, this work has to be a landmark accomplishment that showcases Connor's passion for educating Westerners about the beauty and intrigue of the Korean phenomenon. Most importanly, The Koreas will help educators better understand this great culture, and give the attention it merits.” —Education About Asia

From the Publisher

With these two inaugural titles—updated and enlarged from their 2002 incarnations in the "Global Studies Handbook" series—ABC-CLIO is launching a brand new series titled "Asia in Focus." The title on China is slated to join them shortly. Ellington (Univ. of Tennessee, Chattanooga) and Connor (Korea Acad. for Educators) authored the earlier titles in the series as well. Connor wrote the bulk of the newer The Koreas, and there are five subchapters by contributors. Prefaces in these books stress the need for global awareness in general and an increased understanding of Asian countries in particular. To that end, each title covers the awareness aspect with sections on geography, history, government and politics, economy, society, culture, and contemporary issues. A historical approach serves The Koreas particularly well, emphasizing the relative recency of the political division between north and south. Supplemental material makes up more than a quarter of each book, including a glossary, a compilation of facts and figures, a description of holidays, a listing of organizations, an annotated bibliography of recommended works, a thematic index, and a general index. BOTTOM LINE Financially strapped libraries holding the earlier "Global Studies Handbook" titles may skip these. Otherwise, they are recommended to public, school, and academic libraries as highly readable, information-rich resources on regions and peoples playing increasingly large roles in our economic future. Librarians may choose to place them in circulation where they would be more appreciated.—Teresa R. Faust, Vermont Dept. of Libs., Berlin

Library Journal

In a general introduction to Korea specifically accessible to young readers, Connor (history, Westridge School, Pasadena, California) focuses on the economic, political, social, and cultural developments since the Korean War. A section also covers geography and history. Among the reference materials are a chronological table; a brief dictionary of people, places, and events; an outline of language, food, and etiquette; a list of organizations; and an annotated bibliography. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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