[KS] KSR 1998-09: _Korea Briefing: Toward Reunification_, edited by

[Stephen Epstein]

Korea Briefing: Toward Reunification, edited by David R. McCann. Armonk: M.
E. Sharpe, 1997. (ISBN 1-56324-885-9 cloth; ISBN 1-56324-886-7 paper). 238
pp.

                      Reviewed by Yong Je Kim
                        Pacific State University

     [This review first appeared in Acta Koreana, 1 (1998): 154-5]

The 1996 edition of Korea Briefing: Toward Reunification, edited by David
R. McCann, focuses on the changing status of the two separate Koreas. The
authors look at the present status of both Koreas' internal politics,
economics, educational systems, and cultural aspects as well as the
unforeseeable future elements of the two Koreas. This edition utilizes a
descriptive approach of the chronology of different events from the summer
of 1993 to the spring of 1996 along with a glossary of names and terms, and
a list of suggested reading for specialists and non-specialists.

As McCann indicates, this edition consists of two parts. The first part
begins with two chapters by Charles K. Armstrong and Kongdan Oh analyzing
recent events and their implications for North and South Korean politics
and economic relations, especially in light of the two Koreas' changing
status. The third chapter of Part One features Young Whan Kihl describing
the internal affairs of the two Koreas as well as the external relationship
between them after the end of the Cold War and the death of Kim Il Sung.
The common denominators for Armstrong, Oh, and Kihl regarding reunification
are the universally recognized theories of push and pull factors
surrounding the Korean peninsula's political and economic change within the
two states and the global political context.

The second part of Korea Briefing deals with two case studies involving
South and North Korea. First, Sang Duk Yu examines the history of the
Korean Teachers Union in South Korea, using an interior view of the
democratization process from the Japanese colonial period to contemporary
accomplishments and setbacks. The second case study focuses on North
Korea's famous former leader, Kim Il Sung. Stephen W. Linton, former
interpreter for Jimmy Carter and Billy Graham in meetings with Kim Il Sung,
offers his personal insight into Kim Il Sung's leadership. Linton tries to
look beyond Kim Il Sung's cult status and challenges the traditional notion
of Kim as an anti-American.

Finally, within a social context, author Ross King attempts to tie the two
Koreas' language reforms to see if there exists a common denominator for
future elements. King employs the McCune-Reischauer system for romanization.

As a whole, Korea Briefing: Toward Reunification, fails to deliver what its
title promises concerning reunification. The reader expects a volume that
provides concrete and cogent reasoning and analyses about reunification.
The volume ignores such crucial issues as the present status of
reunification, and the direction both Koreas are heading; in this regard,
the first three chapters offer more speculation and hypothetical arguments.

Nevertheless, this book does take a serious look at the Koreas from a broad
perspective and describes possible future directions for the Korean
peninsula. Perhaps changing the title to Korea Briefing in the 1990s would
provide a more accurate and realistic reflection of the contents and
purpose of this ambitious project.


Citation:
Kim, Yong Je 1998
Review of David R. McCann, ed., Korea Briefing: Toward Reunification (1997)
Korean Studies Review 1998, no. 9
Electronic file:
http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/korean-studies/files/ksr98-09.htm
[This review first appeared in Acta Koreana, 1 (1998): 154-5]




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