TOPIC CENTRAL - Korea Studies

Click here to listen to or read the transcript of this exclusive interview and to participate in our member discussion.

Click here to listen to or read the transcript of this exclusive interview and to participate in our member discussion.

Click here to listen to or read the transcript of this exclusive interview and to participate in our member discussion.

Click here to read the KES article and to participate in our member discussion.

Click here to read the KES article and to participate in our member discussion.

“What are some popular misconceptions about South Korea that are prevalent among the foreign community?”
(Dec 24, 2010)

“Reflections on the Korea 2010 World Cup experience"
(July 4, 2010)

Nojeok Hill: My View from the Top: General Observers of Korea

Intrepid Americans: Bold Koreans – Early Korean Trade, Concessions, and Entrepreneurship
by Donald G. Southerton

Don Southerton

There’s very little being published today about Korea and the period around the turn of the 20th century. Don (I’ll call him by his first name since he’s my co-administrator here at Korea Business Central) covers some interesting ground in all of his books. This one is strictly non-fiction, unlike others where he weaves fact with fiction to tell a story.

Chemulpo to Songdo IBD: Korea’s International Gateway
by Don Southerton

Don Southerton

Chemulpo to Songdo IBD: Korea’s International Gateway showcases 125 years of commerce, trade, and interaction in the nation’s first foreign trade hub, Incheon. The bilingual work is author Don Southerton’s latest writing on Korea and weaves key historic events with photographs and first-hand accounts, past and present. Click here to read online for free

A Yankee in the Land of the Morning Calm: A Historical Novel (Books 1 and 2)
by Donald G. Southerton

Don Southerton

Connecticut Yankee Josh Gillet longed for high adventure and travel. Leaving late nineteenth century New England for a sojourn in Japan, Josh soon finds himself in the Hermit Kingdom—Korea. These two fictional historical novels take the reader back to the late 1900s to share a part of Korean history that is not well known.

The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently… and Why
by Richard E. Nisbett

This book seeks to explain the striking differences between Asian and Western thinking. Nisbett looks for the answers to questions such as why the Chinese never excelled at geometry, why Western infants learn nouns more rapidly than verbs and how Asians and Westerns have different ways of understanding objects and surroundings. Many of the lessons are applicable to understanding marketing theory across cultures.

Steven S. Bammel reviewed this book in two parts: Part I, Part II

The Koreans: Who They Are, What they Want, Where Their Future Lies
by Michael Breen

This is not the most scholarly assessment of Korea and Koreans but it is an entertaining book by a journalist who lived in Korea for awhile. The book explains how and why he believes Koreans think and act as they do, and covers some of Korea’s recent history.

Click here to read Steven S. Bammel’s review. Most other reviews at Amazon.com are more positive than Steven’s.

Korea’s Place in the Sun: A Modern History
by Bruce Cumings

No other book comes close to this authoritative survey by Cumings. The writing is a little heavy but if you want to understand modern Korean history and are willing to sit through 500 pages of solid information and insights from the leading scholar in Korean studies, this is the book for you.

Ethnic Nationalism in Korea: Geneology, Politics, and Legacy
by Gi-Wook Shin

Foreigners to Korea are often surprised at how strong nationalistic sentiment is throughout society. This book traces the Korean version of ethnic nationalism during the modern era. This is not light reading but covers its topic thoroughly and carefully.

Click here for Steven S. Bammel’s review.

The Korean War
by Max Hastings

If you can only read one introduction to the Korean War and don’t want to spend too much time doing so, this is the one book to read. Hastings moves quickly and covers the whole war from beginning to end in a refreshing and interesting style that doesn’t grind axes.

The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History
by Don Oberdorfer

Starting his narrative with the end of the Korean War, Oberdorfer takes the reader through the high points of Korean modern history, focusing mainly on politics. Easier to read than Cumings and without the fatal weaknesses of The Koreans (Breen), this is a good “next book” to tackle after finishing Korea’s Place in the Sun or if you want to focus only on the last 50 years or so.

The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War
by David Halberstam

Halberstam tells the best stories. Over six hundred pages, he covers the major events of the war, focusing in on a few individual battles. His in-depth character studies of some of the major players of the war are fascinating but when Halberstam decides he doesn’t like someone (in this case, General Douglas MacArthur), he can be ruthless.

The War for Korea, 1945-1950: A House Burning
by Allan R. Millett

The period between 1945 and 1950 was a time of festering conflict in Korea leading up to war and The War for Korea, 1945-1950 is an excellent in-depth study of this pivotal time. Millett is a military historian who covers his subjects thoroughly so be ready for a lot of minute details.

Avoiding the Apocalypse: The Future of the Two Koreas
by Marcus Noland

No study of Korea is complete without an understanding of the political and economic dynamics within and between the North and the South. Noland, an expert in the field, covers this perspective with deep insights.

Noland has been a guest on the Korea Business Interview Series and his interview and ensuing community discussion can be found here.

Korea Unmasked: In Search of the Country, the Society and the People
by Won-bok Rhie

Learn about the Korean psyche and history from a Korean… and in pictures. Rhie is a leading Korean cartoonist and he covers the major points about Korea and Koreans for the lay reader. Read this along with a book written about Korea by a non-Korean and you’ll be rewarded with a deeper perspective.