What we do know of the chungin, or "middle people," of Korea largely comes from profiles of wealthy, influential men, frequently cited as collaborators with Japanese imperialists, who went on to constitute the post-1945 South Korean elite. This book highlights many rank-and-file chungin who, despite being better educated than most Koreans, struggled to survive. We follow Pak Tŏkhwa's descendants as they make inroads into politics, business, and culture. Yet many members' refusal to link their family histories and surnames to royal forebears, as most other Koreans did, sets them apart, and facilitates for readers a meaningful discussion of identity, modernity, colonialism, memory, and historical agency.
What we do know of the chungin, or "middle people," of Korea largely comes from profiles of wealthy, influential men, frequently cited as collaborators with Japanese imperialists, who went on to constitute the post-1945 South Korean elite. This book highlights many rank-and-file chungin who, despite being better educated than most Koreans, struggled to survive. We follow Pak Tŏkhwa's descendants as they make inroads into politics, business, and culture. Yet many members' refusal to link their family histories and surnames to royal forebears, as most other Koreans did, sets them apart, and facilitates for readers a meaningful discussion of identity, modernity, colonialism, memory, and historical agency.
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A Family of No Prominence: The Descendants of Pak Tokhwa and the Birth of Modern Korea
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A Family of No Prominence: The Descendants of Pak Tokhwa and the Birth of Modern Korea
264Hardcover(New Edition)
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9780804788762 |
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Publisher: | Stanford University Press |
Publication date: | 04/02/2014 |
Edition description: | New Edition |
Pages: | 264 |
Sales rank: | 743,104 |
Product dimensions: | 9.00(w) x 6.00(h) x 0.80(d) |