Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Korea

by James E. Hoare

Overview

The Korean Peninsula lies at the strategic heart of East Asia, between China, Russia, and Japan, and has been influenced in different ways and at different times by all three of them. Across the Pacific lies the United State, which has also had a major influence on the peninsula since the first encounters in the mid-nineteenth century. Faced by such powerful neighbors, the Koreans have had to struggle hard to maintain their political and cultural identity. The result has been to create a fiercely independent people. If they have from time to time been divided, the pressures towards unification have always proved strong.

This third edition of Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Korea covers its history through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Republic of Korea.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780810871632
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	06/09/2015
Series:	Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East
Edition description:	Third Edition
Pages:	692
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.90(d)

About the Author

James E. Hoare retired from the British Foreign Service in 2003 after 33 years as a Research Analyst.

Table of Contents

Editor's Foreword Jon Woronoff
Preface
Reader's Note
Acronyms and Abbreviations
Chronology
Maps
Introduction
THE DICTIONARY
Bibliography
Appendix A: Government Structure of the Republic of Korea
Appendix B: Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Prime Ministers
Appendix C: Presidential Elections
Appendix D: National Assembly Elections
Appendix E: Text of the December 1991 Agreement on Reconciliation, Nonaggression and Exchanges and Cooperation between the South and the North
Appendix F: North-South Joint Declaration of 15 June 2000
About the Author

Editorial Reviews

Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Korea is an essential purchase for an academic library specialising in Asian studies and libraries supporting undergraduates and postgraduate courses in Asian history and international relations. It aims to appeal to the specialist academic and the student looking to develop their knowledge, but there is a lot here for the general reader wishing to learn about South Korea. The introduction, in particular, is a fascinating account of the history of the country for a general reader. It would also be a useful reference companion for a secondary or sixth form student. This is an impressively comprehensive and informative historical dictionary that is eminently readable.

Reference Reviews

The year 2015 marks two significant milestones in Korea's history: the 70th anniversary of the peninsular division at the end of WW II (1945) into the communist Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the non-communist, pro-Western Republic of Korea (South Korea), and the 65th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War (1950). The echoes of these two seminal events still fuel tensions and influence politics in both states. The need for an informative overview of the Republic of Korea's history and the pace of change in both Koreas make a new release of this historical dictionary desirable. While retaining the same format as the 1993 and 2004 dictionaries, this third edition has been considerably expanded. The chronology and the introduction are longer to take account of events of the last decade. The main body has been lengthened from 313 to 525 pages. A number of larger issue-oriented entries (e.g., on education or the economy) have been rewritten, and new entries cover political, economic, cultural, scientific, and military developments during 1948–2014. Significant entries (e.g., on aspects of the Korean War) run longer, to four or five pages. As before, there is no subject index, but boldfaced cross-references and see also references point out related entries. All researchers will find the bibliographic essay and subject bibliographies very helpful. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All libraries. All levels.

Choice

The year 2015 marks two significant milestones in Korea's history: the 70th anniversary of the peninsular division at the end of WW II (1945) into the communist Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the non-communist, pro-Western Republic of Korea (South Korea), and the 65th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War (1950). The echoes of these two seminal events still fuel tensions and influence politics in both states. The need for an informative overview of the Republic of Korea's history and the pace of change in both Koreas make a new release of this historical dictionary desirable. While retaining the same format as the 1993 and 2004 dictionaries, this third edition has been considerably expanded. The chronology and the introduction are longer to take account of events of the last decade. The main body has been lengthened from 313 to 525 pages. A number of larger issue-oriented entries (e.g., on education or the economy) have been rewritten, and new entries cover political, economic, cultural, scientific, and military developments during 1948–2014. Significant entries (e.g., on aspects of the Korean War) run longer, to four or five pages. As before, there is no subject index, but boldfaced cross-references and see also references point out related entries. All researchers will find the bibliographic essay and subject bibliographies very helpful. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All libraries. All levels.

CHOICE

Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Korea is an essential purchase for an academic library specialising in Asian studies and libraries supporting undergraduates and postgraduate courses in Asian history and international relations. It aims to appeal to the specialist academic and the student looking to develop their knowledge, but there is a lot here for the general reader wishing to learn about South Korea. The introduction, in particular, is a fascinating account of the history of the country for a general reader. It would also be a useful reference companion for a secondary or sixth form student. This is an impressively comprehensive and informative historical dictionary that is eminently readable.

"American Reference Books Annual"

Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Korea is an essential purchase for an academic library specialising in Asian studies and libraries supporting undergraduates and postgraduate courses in Asian history and international relations. It aims to appeal to the specialist academic and the student looking to develop their knowledge, but there is a lot here for the general reader wishing to learn about South Korea. The introduction, in particular, is a fascinating account of the history of the country for a general reader. It would also be a useful reference companion for a secondary or sixth form student. This is an impressively comprehensive and informative historical dictionary that is eminently readable.

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