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Review from: American Reference Books Annual
2005
The Two Koreas discusses the paradox that is the
Korean nation today. This new addition to H. W. Wilson's The Reference
Shelf series, examines North and South Korea, including their history,
foreign relations and policies, the tense relationship toward one another,
their economies, and their leadership.
The book presents the story of Korea in five chapters,
written by contributors from various international news agencies. The
editor, Jennifer Peloso, believes one must understand a country's history
to understand the current situation in that country. The Koreans' story
begins with a brief overview of the 1,200-year history, its adversities,
and its various ideologies that have created the political attitudes of
Korea's leadership. Korea was influenced by the Chinese, Japanese,
Russians, and Americans, and today is still trying to find its true
identity. Imperialism reigned supreme throughout most of its history and
continues to hold Korea in its grasp. Kimil-Sung, “The Great Leader” and
ruler of communist North Korea, has created a secluded nation of secrecy,
considered by President George Bush to be one of the “Axis of Evil”
nations in the wake of September II, 2001. The Demilitarized Zone, or the
“DMZ,” separates the two halves of the
Korean nation, thus making the nations of Korea, a
nation of two. South Korea, by contrast, is a thriving nation and has the
third largest economy among the countries of Asia. The final chapters sum
up the situation in North and South Korea with a discussion of a “fragile
Peace” threatened by a “nuclear nightmare.”This book is written in a
succinct, journalistic style that helps to make the story of Korea more
comprehensible. The appendix is excerpted from The World Factbook 2003
(Central Intelligence Agency). A bibliography of books, Websites, and
periodicals is available at the end of the book. The Two Koreas is
a timely book and is recommended for all public and academic reference
collections. |
