Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kylehawkins2000]

Hi all,

Has anyone read any interesting books on Korea?

I've read the 'Aquariums of Pyongyang'
and 'The Two Koreas'
and '1000 Chestnut Trees'

I'm interested in modern Korean History (Japanese occupation to the present) and also fictional books set in Korea.

Can anyone point out some interesting books they've read on or about Korea?

Thanks,

Kyle

[rockr1]

"The Koreans" by Michael Breen is excellent, covers what you are looking for I think (non-fiction)

[Draven]

If you're interested in works written by Koreans...
I took a course on modern Korean literature at my university and read many works that were translated by my professor. Find a link here.
I strongly recommend Wayfarer, Land of Exile, Words of Farewell, and A Ready Made Life. They provided me with great insight into Korea culture.

Draven

[Teach]

1000 Chestnut Trees was a great book. I'm currently reading "The Foreign Student" by Susan Choi. It's a good read so far.

[simulated stereo]

The Foreign Student is pretty good. Check out two novels by Chang Rae Lee called Native Speaker and A Gesture Life. Both books are pretty interesting, and are easy to find i.e. more than five copies each at Kyobo.

[Bulsajo]

You might try 'White Badge' or 'Silver Stallion' by Ahn Junh-Hyo.
White Badge was hard to find in Korea for some strange reason- I had to order it through Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0939149303/ref=pd_sim_books_1/002-1998820-6476004?v=glance&s=books

[BTM]

Agreed about the Michael Breen book. Quite excellent, and readable.

[kylehawkins2000]

Hey,

Thanks for the responses everyone. I'll check out at least some of the books that have been recommended.

Anyone else read 1000 Chestnut trees? I quite enjoyed it. I think it gives an intimate look into what it was like during the Japanese occupation on a more personal level than what is found in most non-fiction accounts.

The ending was a bit anti-climatic though.

[Rand Al Thor]

Koreas place in the sun

Korea: Through the looking glass

[rudyflyer]

most of the stuff I'd reccommend are policy/econ/security oriented.

First a correction to Rand's post, think he meant "North Korea Through the Looking Glass" by Oh and Hassig. Geat book about North Korea perhaps the best I've read and thats not because one of my best friends is the acquasitions editors Brookings and was instrumental in getting the book published

I highly reccomend the Breen book, perhaps the best I've read.

OK some other titles: William Gleysteen's "Massive Entaglements: Marginal Influences" a first hand account of the Carter Admin dealings with Park Chung-hee, the coup of 79 and the Kwangju demonstrations and how hamstrung the Carter Admin was in dealing with it. Basically refutes the Korean notion that the Carter Admin condoned the Kwangju Massacre

Donald Kirk's "Korean Crisis" good book about the 97 economic crisis

If you want a heavy dose of econ go for Marcus Noland's "Avoiding the Apocalypse" Noland is perhaps the best western Korean econ scholar. The chapters on the economic crisis are incredible

For US/ROK security issues see Selig Harrisons "Korean Endgame" just published last year also very prophetic in terms of US troop realignment

HTH

[kimcheeking]

[Draven]

[shakuhachi]

A good book for the history of the Japanese occupation that isnt fiction (like 1000 chestnuts) is KIM WANSOP's (�� �ϼ�) IN DEFENSE OF THE PRO-JAPANESE FACTION (ģ���ĸ� ���� ����). It is in Korean so maybe you could get a Korean who is good at english to read it and give you a summary. It is a very enlightening book. The book was considered so dangerous it was banned for a time in "free" South Korea. And the Author came under attack from extremists. No one was able to refute his argument though.

You dont know about the Japanese Occupation until you have read this book.

[Son Deureo!]

I'll second Rand Al Thor's recommendation of Korea's Place in the Sun by Bruce Cumings. While it does cover premodern history in the first 150 or so pages, it does so in a very engaging way and sets the stage for its primary concern, modern Korean history. In his coverage of the Korean War and the resulting division of the peninsula, Cumings tries very hard to present a balanced and accurate view. According to Cumings, neither side is an innocent victim.

Another book I'd recommend is Korea Unmasked, a very engaging comic book treatise on Korean culture. Don't knock it 'til you read it.

[jajdude]

Agreed that "The Koreans" by Breen is quite good. I think it shows that pretty much all foreigners find Korea/Koreans strange. I like the "frog in the well" analogy. Wonder if all is accurate in the book though? One line I think he said "It is not illegal to beat one's wife" ??? The part about the 1988 Olympics was a bit sad.