Author Archive
The Strength to Concede in Developmental Asia
Do autocrats cede power to democracy when in fear of the alternative, or is there an alternative hypothesis: that strength increases the likelihood of democratization? East Asian case studies give food for thought. Let Steven Denney be your guide.
History, Textbooks, and “Truth” in South Korea
National histories are far too contentious as it is, without entrusting their construction to the forces of state authority. In South Korea, where ideological and intellectual freedom are highly contingent, the latest episode in a recurrent controversy over school textbooks makes the point.
Yongusil 14: “War of Words” at Leiden University: Manchuria and Historiography in Modern South Korea
The last in our triology focused on Professor Remco Breuker’s “War of Words” project at the University of Leiden, Steven Denney considers the bounds and binding of Manchuria/Manchukuo to current South Korean politics.
Defector Testimonies in a Polarized Society: From Implausible Story to Political Controversy
Nothing looms larger in the rear view mirror of South Korea’s democratic legacy than the South Jeolla Province city of Gwangju and the events that took place there in May 1980. That same democratization narrative was again abused in May 2013, this time along with some defector testimony of a most curious disposition.
Data Suggests Ethno-nationalism on Decline
In a country as politicized, regionalized and fast-paced as South Korea, differences of opinion on North Korea are bound to be both large and hard to reconcile. Steven Denney brings us the latest opinion poll data.
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