A History of Korea: From Antiquity to the PresentIn this comprehensive yet compact book, Michael J. Seth surveys Korean history from Neolithic times to the present. He explores the origins and development of Korean society, politics, and its still little-known cultural heritage from their inception to the two Korean states of today. Telling the remarkable story of the origins and evolution of a society that borrowed and adopted from abroad, Seth describes how various tribal peoples in the peninsula came together to form one of the world's most distinctive communities. He shows how this ancient, culturally and ethnically homogeneous society was wrenched into the world of late-nineteenth-century imperialism, fell victim to Japanese expansionism, and then became arbitrarily divided into two opposed halves, North and South, after World War II. Tracing the past seven decades, the book explains how the two Koreas, with their deeply different political and social systems and geopolitical orientations, 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. North Korea, by contrast, became one of the world's most totalitarian and isolated societies, a nuclear power with an impoverished and famine-stricken population. Seth describes and analyzes the radically different and historically unprecedented trajectories of the two Koreas, formerly one tight-knit society. Throughout, he adds a rich dimension by placing Korean history into broader global perspective and by including primary readings from each era. All readers looking for a balanced, knowledgeable history will be richly rewarded with this clear and concise book. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Chapter 01 The Origins | 9 |
Chapter 02 The Period of the Three Kingdoms 4th Century to 676 | 27 |
Chapter 03 Late Silla 676 to 935 | 49 |
Chapter 04 Koryŏ 935 to 1170 | 77 |
Chapter 05 Military Rulers and Mongol Invaders 1170 to 1392 | 103 |
Chapter 06 The NeoConfucian Revolution and the Chosŏn State 1392 to the 18th Century | 127 |
Chapter 07 Chosŏn Society | 157 |
From Poverty to Prosperity 1953 to 1997 | 373 |
Creating a Democratic Society 1953 to 1997 | 405 |
Chapter 15 Contemporary North Korea 1993 to 2010 | 437 |
Chapter 16 Contemporary South Korea 1997 to 2010 | 465 |
Conclusion | 497 |
Appendix | 503 |
Notes | 507 |
Glossary of Korean Words | 529 |
Chapter 08 Late Chosŏn Early 18th Century to 1876 | 189 |
Chapter 09 Korea in the Age of Imperialism 1876 to 1910 | 225 |
Chapter 10 Colonial Korea 1910 to 1945 | 265 |
Chapter 11 Division and War 1945 to 1953 | 305 |
Recovery Transformation and Decline 1953 to 1993 | 339 |
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administration agricultural American aristocratic Army Asian became began Beijing Buddhism capital central Ch'oe China Chinese Choson civil colonial Communist Confucian country’s court created cultural Democratic DPRK early East Asia economic elite emerged emperor established exams forces foreign groups historians History of Korea important industrial invasion Japan Japanese Kim Dae Jung Kim Il Sung Kim Jong Kim Jong Il king kingdom Koguryŏ Korean history Korean society Korean War Koryŏ labor land late later leaders major Manchuria military Ming modern Mongol monks movement nationalist Neo-Confucian North Korea officials organized P'yongyang Paekche Parhae Park Park Chung Hee Party peasants peninsula percent period political population reform regime Rhee rice royal rule rulers scholars schools Seoul Silla slaves social South Soviet status Tang tion trade tradition troops United University Press Western women workers yangban Yi dynasty