[KS] "frequent invasions"

[Don Baker]

I would like to second Yong-ho's suggestion that we get rid of the myth
that Korea was constantly being invaded by foreign forces for most of
its history. Now that we have entered the 21st century, there is no
longer any excuse for letting the misfortunes Korea suffered in the
first half of the 20th century distort our perceptions of Korean history
in the preceding histories. Instead we should be asking how Korea was
able to maintain territorial integrity over a much longer period of time
than almost any other country on the earth (except for Japan and, to
some extent, China). In other words, we should be seeking explanations
for Korea's good fortune rather than misreading Korean history as a
history of victimization.

-- 
Don Baker
Associate Professor, Asian Studies
Canada-Korea Business Council Chair in Korean Studies
University of British Columbia


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