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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.
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THE KOREAS
Titles in ABC-CLIO’s Asia in Focus Series China Robert Andre LaFleur, Editor Japan Lucien Ellington The Koreas Mary E. Connor, Editor
ASIA
IN
FOCUS
THE KOREAS
Mary E. Connor, Editor
Santa Barbara, California Denver, Colorado Oxford, England
Copyright 2009 by ABC-CLIO, LLC All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The Koreas/Mary E. Connor, editor. p. cm.—(Asia in focus) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-59884-160-2 (hardcopy : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-59884-161-9 (eBook) 1. Korea—Civilization. 2. Korea (South)—Civilization. 3. Korea (North)—Civilization. I. Connor, Mary E. DS904.K66 2009 951.9—dc22 2009006299 13
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This book is also available on the World Wide Web as an eBook. Visit www.abc-clio.com for details. ABC-CLIO, LLC 130 Cremona Drive, P.O. Box 1911 Santa Barbara, California 93116–1911 This book is printed on acid-free paper Manufactured in the United States of America
For my husband, Gerry Fallon, and America’s teachers.
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Contents
Preface, xv Maps, xix
1 GEOGRAPHY, 1 Mary E. Connor The Korean Peninsula, 1 Physical Geography: North Korea, 4 Physical Geography: South Korea, 5 Human Geography, 7
2 HISTORY, 13 Mary E. Connor Early Korea, 13 The Koryo Dynasty (918–1392), 19 The Choson Dynasty (1392–1910), 21 The Colonial Period (1910–1945), 34 Liberation, Division, and the Beginnings of the Cold War (1945–1950), 40 The Korean War (1950–1953), 44 A Divided Korea: The South Korean Experience (1953–2008), 48 A Divided Korea: The North Korean Experience (1953–2008), 53
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3 GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS, 59 Mary E. Connor The Impact of Tradition on Political Development, 60 The Impact of the Japanese Colonial Period on Contemporary Life, 61 The Impact of U.S. and Soviet Occupation and the Korean War on Political Development, 62 A Divided People: The South Korean Experience (1948–2008), 63 A Divided People: The North Korean Experience (1945–2008), 91
4 ECONOMY, 101 Mary E. Connor Economic Development, 101 Industry, 117 Labor, 137 Trade, 144
5 SOCIETY, 155 Religion and Thought, 155 Mary E. Connor Introduction, 155 South Korea, 156 North Korea, 174 Social Classes and Ethnicity, 177 Mary E. Connor Early Korean History, 177 The Three Kingdoms Period (57 BCE to 668 CE), 178 Unified Silla (668–935 CE), 179 Social Classes during the Koryo Dynasty (918–1392), 180 Koryo Society during the Yuan Dynasty, 181 Choson Dynasty (1392–1910), 182 Later Choson Dynasty: 1637–1910, 183 Japanese Colonial Rule (1910–1945), 184 Division and the Korean War (1945–195