The Two Koreas: Revised and Updated a Contemporary History [Paperback]

The first important subject of the book is the DMZ. The book explains the DMZ and its role in the relationship between the powers of the region. The DMZ's importance is that it is heavily mined making it a barrier to any military attack for each side. All the military clashes in the book between ether the North and South or the US and the North take place in the DMZ. Several of those clashes caused international incidents. The DMZ is also an important wildlife preserve since it is off limits for development for obvious reasons.

Throughout South Korea's history since the Second World War it was and still is reliant on the US for military assistance. US troops are still stationed in South Korea and have been involved in the history of Korea throughout this book. While the South relied and still does rely on the US the North relied on the Soviet Union and Communist China for support throughout the Cold war. The book explains these relationships in more detail and explains why the North has invented the philosophy of Yushin (Korean self-reliance) even while relying on the Soviet Union and China for support.

One of the key developments in Korea since the end of the Korean War was the South's transition to democracy. The book explains how the previous military governments ruled and how the transition took place. There certain people that were instrumental in the transition and the book explores briefly who they are and then explains what they did.

A huge event for North Korea was the ending of the Cold War. Despite North Korea's Yushin philosophy it was always reliant on the support of the Soviet Union and China. The North lost important means of support as the Soviet Union disappeared and China wasn't interested in helping the North without getting anything back. The book explains the terrible consciences of this event on the North.

In the early nineties the dictator of North Korea Kim Il Sung died. Kim Il Sung had been the leader of North Korea since the end of World War II. Kim Il Sung's son Kim Jung Il took over the country. As Kim Jung Il consolidated his power it seemed that he relied on the military far more then his father. The military had always been the harder edge in North Korean politics. This turn of events left many people wondering what was going to happen under this new leader.

The most dangerous moment for the two Koreas as well as the United States security on the Korean peninsula came in the early nineties. In the early nineties the North began a serous effort to create a nuclear weapon. The US and South Korea were determined not to let the North develop a nuclear weapon. The book details the diplomacy that eventfully ended the crisis in a peaceful agreement.

The book ends with things looking better. The book ends with the end of the Clinton Administration and with a new South Korean president that is the most dedicated to peace of any South Korean leader. If you are interested in learning about the recent history of Korea and the conflict there The Two Koreas is an excellent place to start.

Like a family divided from bitter divorce, the Soviet Union jealously takes North Korea and moves to a hippie community, while the United States keeps South Korea in Battery Park. As such, the two Koreas jealously watch each other and marshal their resources in attempts to upstage each other. North Korea grows into a rebellious teenager who exploits the ideological conflict between mother Russia and China for personal gain until its benefactors have a change of heart. South Korea, following in the footsteps its chairman-of-the-board American father, achieves junior executive status by 1980, and senior executive by 1990.

Oberdorfer's book is a dual edged sword. It provides a necessary history of the Cold War's begrudging last battle ground. It counters many DPRK characterizations that it is a reckless or insane government (if only its domestic policies were as successful as its diplomatic brinkmanship). It is a wonderful demonstration of successful modern diplomacy: networking and aid Vs. military power and imperialism. It does a remarkable, albeit obtuse job covering the first Korean nuclear crisis, being the most comprehensive retelling we will get. It also counters specific South Korean accusations of American domestic meddling and "colonization."

On the other hand, Oberdorfer is as respectful as he can be of a country he condescends to. As the Washington Post's Asian Correspondent from the 1970's, one would expect more poignant observations than smells of garlic in elevators. The insultingly trivial conclusion, "Hold on your hats. Korea is a land of surprises," gives credence to Korean / Eastern complaints of Western cultural arrogance. Imagine the outrage if France wrote an American history book portraying the Revolutionary Army and the Founding Fathers as self-righteous, unclean children. The development of the North and South is glossed over as Oberdorfer concentrates on building the context of the next big international standoff. Incomprehensibly, progress in the modern Korean story is defined by outside recognition, not by domestic progress. This is not helped by Korean obsession over its international image, particularly in Europe.

Sadly, this book will be the most substantial source of knowledge and exposure to Korea for Americans (Korean barbeque and Samsung don't count); it is a shame that it couldn't be less self-satisfying. Korea has been a subject to international powers for hundreds of years. Independence achieved, history proved it is not without its cruel irony. One country developed two political systems more contrasting than the yin-yang on the South Korean flag.

Today, South Korea is the 12th richest country in the world. Its people are urbane, educated, and hardworking. It has modern infrastructure and the latest in technology. It is one of the great success stories of the second-half of the 20th century. North Korea, on the other hand, redefines hermetically sealed. Its singularity of consciousness is both dehumanizing and terrifying. The snippets of information collected from it astound: human meat markets, mass performance art, the Potemkin capital Pyongyang, outrageous propaganda from Korean Central News Authority, and its "illusive" leader, Kim Jong Il. Without a doubt, it is the most unique society on earth. Surely, the two Koreas deserve more introspection than what they are given here. But as smug elistists would say, only successful adults deserve such navel gazing.