Now in a fully revised and updated edition including new primary sources and illustrations, this comprehensive and balanced history of modern Korea explores the social, economic, and political issues it has faced since being catapulted into the wider world at the end of the nineteenth century. Placing this formerly insular society in a global context, Michael J. Seth describes how this ancient, culturally and ethnically homogeneous society first fell victim to Japanese imperialist expansionism, and then was arbitrarily divided in half after World War II. Seth traces the postwar paths of the two Koreas-with different political and social systems and different geopolitical orientations-as they 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. By contrast, North Korea became one of the world's most totalitarian and isolated societies, a nuclear power with an impoverished and famine-stricken population. Considering the radically different and historically unprecedented trajectories of the two Koreas, Seth assesses the insights they offer for understanding not only modern Korea but the broader perspective of world history. All readers looking for a balanced, knowledgeable history will be richly rewarded with this clear and concise book.

About the Author
Michael J. Seth is professor of history at James Madison University.

Reviews
Michael Seth's text remains the most accessible overview of Korean history. Going beyond the platitudes about the `land of the morning calm' or the `hermit kingdom,' it is a useful and clear guide to the Korean peninsula's turbulent past. -- John Lie, University of California, Berkeley
Whenever asked to recommend a textbook on Korean history, one of my top choices is A Concise History of Korea. Now in its third edition, Michael Seth provides the most up-to-date survey of Korean history, introducing fresh research and interpretations. He places Korea clearly within the East Asian world and highlights the unique aspects of Korea's past. As with the previous edition, Michael Seth succeeds in this history in every way. -- Edward Shultz, emeritus, University of Hawaii at Manoa



Book Information
ISBN 9781538129043
Author Michael J. Seth
Format Paperback
Page Count 356
Imprint Rowman & Littlefield
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 467g
Dimensions(mm) 224mm * 153mm * 19mm