Korea : the impossible country / Daniel Tudor.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Tudor, Daniel, 1982- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Civilization.

Korea (South)--Civilization--20th century.

Korea (South).

Korea (South)--Civilization--21st century.

Physical Description:

320 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 21 cm

Edition:

Revised and expanded [edition].

Place of Publication:

Rutland, Vt. : Tuttle Publishing, [2018]

Summary:

South Korea's amazing transformation into an economic powerhouse and a thriving democracy within a generation now serves as a model for many other developing nations. How were Korean's able to achieve their "Asian miracle" despite half a century of colonial rule, a ruinous war, and no earlier democratic tradition? And having accomplished it, what comes next? Will Korea become a rich but aging society, stagnant and lacking momentum? Or will the dynamism of Korean society--and the opportunity to welcome outsiders--enable it to experience another miracle to propel it into the ranks of the leading countries of the world in terms of human development and wealth? Daniel Tudor is a journalist who has lived in Korea for a decade, and seeks the answers to these questions in interviews with scores of high-powered Korean business leaders, politicians, religious leaders, sports legends, poets, rock stars and academics. In this fascinating and uncoventional book he examines Korea's cultural foundations ; the Korean family character ; the public sphere in politics, business, the workplace ; the Korean family and how Koreans unwind including food, music, and cinema ; and social issues crucial to Korea's future--including their interactions with outsiders. In doing so, he touches on topics as diverse as shamanism, clan-ism, the dilemma posed by North Korea (brother or enemy?), myths about doing business in Korea, and why the country's infatuation with learning English is causing huge social problems. This new edition has been updated with additional materials on recent events including the Park impeachment and the Sewol ferry incident.

Contents:

A brief history of Korea

Part I: Foundations

Shamanism and the spirit world

Buddhism

Confucianism

Christianity

Capitalism with a Korean face

Democracy : beyond Asian values

Part II: Cultural codes

Jeong

the "invisible hug"

Competition

Chemyon, or face

Han and Heung : the deep sadness and pure joy in the Korean mind

From clan to nuclear family

Neophilia

Part III: Hyun-Shil : cold reality

North Korea : friend, foe, or foreigner?

Politics and the media

Onward, industrial soldiers

"More important than the business itself"

Indroducing Mr. and Mrs. Perfect

English mania

Part IV: In the hours not spent working

Living space : from Hanok to apartment houses and back again

Four seasons at the dinner table

Cinema : boom, bust, and brilliance

More thank K-Pop

Work all day, stay out all night

Part V: More of "us," less of "them"

Defensive nationalism

Multicultural Korea?

"It's our turn"

"We are not aliens from another cosmos"

A woman's place is in the office

Epilogue: Where is the champagne?

Epilogue to the 2018 edition.

Notes:

"Revised and expanded"--Cover.

Includes index.

ISBN:

0804846391

9780804846394

OCLC:

1078184657