I've posted writing by James Wade before (here, here and here) from his book One Man's Korea (Hollym, 1967). Here's a rather interesting essay from 1964 which has some relevance today.
As someone currently writing about North and South Korea in the Six Party Talks and related issues, I find this fascinating. Thanks for posting it! How did you manage to find this?
Funny how these 50-year-old ideas on S. Korea's international policy are just as resonant today as they were then. Though SK looks "modern" and a bit "Western," it is still the same place it has been for the past five or six centuries.
In some respects, this is charming; and, in other respects, it is absolutely maddening.
Bruce Cumings mentioned it once in a lecture (here) and I found a used copy online. There's lots of great stuff in the book, a collection of articles he wrote for the Korea Times, Korea Journal, and music publications, as well as short stories. He's especially critical of the attitudes of his fellow foreigners. Thanks for asking that question - it prompted me to find this page about his life (I didn't know he lived 1930-1983) as well as this review of another book ("West Meets East: An Encounter with Korea," 1975) which is apparently at Yonsei University Library (along with "One Man's Korea"). Unfortunately their photocopying system is entirely nonsensical, which is why I usually just bring along my digital camera.
Exit86: "Charmingly maddening." It might just be the next Korea tourism slogan.
As someone currently writing about North and South Korea in the Six Party Talks and related issues, I find this fascinating. Thanks for posting it! How did you manage to find this?
ReplyDeleteFunny how these 50-year-old ideas on S. Korea's international policy are just as resonant today as they were then. Though SK looks "modern" and a bit "Western," it is still the same place it has been for the past five or six centuries.
ReplyDeleteIn some respects, this is charming; and, in other respects, it is absolutely maddening.
asadalthought:
ReplyDeleteBruce Cumings mentioned it once in a lecture (here) and I found a used copy online. There's lots of great stuff in the book, a collection of articles he wrote for the Korea Times, Korea Journal, and music publications, as well as short stories. He's especially critical of the attitudes of his fellow foreigners. Thanks for asking that question - it prompted me to find this page about his life (I didn't know he lived 1930-1983) as well as this review of another book ("West Meets East: An Encounter with Korea," 1975) which is apparently at Yonsei University Library (along with "One Man's Korea"). Unfortunately their photocopying system is entirely nonsensical, which is why I usually just bring along my digital camera.
Exit86:
"Charmingly maddening." It might just be the next Korea tourism slogan.