History

These Bloody Ties: A Review of “The Unloved Republic” by Brian Myers

By | November 14, 2024

In a new essay, James Constant reviews the latest book by one of the boldest writers in Korean Studies, B.R. Myers. The fundamentals of South Korean state identity are tabled for discussion.

Telegraphing Conflict in the Taiwan Strait: Lessons from Mao Zedong

By | October 08, 2024

This essay looks at Taiwan from the vantage point of PRC leadership circa 1951, considering the connection between coastal defenses, counter-revolutionary suppression, and public sentiment.

Debates and Sentiment toward the National Security Act in South Korea 

By and | March 29, 2024

South Korea’s National Security Act is contentious for its restrictions on political freedoms under the guise of national security. New research indicates that law remains due to legislative inertia and public recognition of security needs, with proposals for revisions far more popular than outright abolition.

The Rhetorical Politics of Ending the Korean War: Eisenhower, Dulles and Mao’s China

By | March 25, 2023

In this essay, Rory de Mellow examines the reconceptualisation of US foreign policy during and after the Korean War.

Free to be Controlled: Press and Protest under Park Chung-hee

By | November 30, 2022

A review of two recent works examining the role of the media and the development of protest culture in South Korea during the Park regime.