Korea's Place in the Sun

Korea's Place in the Sun by Bruce Cumings explores the turbulent history of Korea, a nation that has endured a "fractured, shattered twentieth century." This updated edition brings Cumings's authoritative account into the present day.

Korea is a small country that found itself overshadowed during the imperial era, squeezed between great powers throughout the Cold War, and subsequently divided and devastated by the Korean War. Recently, there have been the first genuine signs of reunification, though these positive developments are sometimes offset by frustrating setbacks.

In the late 1990s, South Korea overcame its most significant economic crisis since the Korean War, leading to a successful restructuring of its political economy. Meanwhile, North Korea has endured floods, droughts, and a famine that claimed millions of lives. Classified as part of an "axis of evil" by the then Bush administration, North Korea has also revived its nuclear threats.

On both sides of the divide, Korea appears destined to continue its fractured existence into the new century, with possible implications for the rest of the world.