[KS] New book on Spanish-Korean relations

[Ernie .]

Dear colleagues:
 
I am pleased to announce the publication of a new book on Spanish-Korean relations, titled "Evangelizacion y prestigio: primeros encuentros entre España y Corea” (“Evangelization and prestige: first encounters between Spain and Korea”). 
 
The book, written in Spanish, is divided in four main chapters. The first one is dedicated to the earliest contacts between the West and Korea, from the mid 16th Century to the beginning of the 17th Century. It details the vicissitudes that surrounded Gregorio de Cespedes and Francisco de Laguna, the first known Westerners who reached the Korean peninsula; the effects of the Hideyoshi invasions in the Japanese-Philippine’s relations; and some naive projects Spaniards had on Korean, both in the adventurer and religious spheres. The second part of the book, focused on the period of the opening of Korea in the late 19th Century -till the annexation of the peninsula by Japan, in 1910-, shows the consular and diplomatic documents related to Korea produced by the Spanish missions in Japan, China and Philippines, as well as from the Minister of State, in Madrid. Although Spain never signed a diplomatic treaty with the Choson Kingdom, in fact, it tried it twice unsuccessfully. It also gives full details on the image Korea and the Korean people had those years among the Spanish society. 
 
The third chapter is a monograph on Amalia Amador, the first Spanish woman -and third female Westerner- who arrived to Korea, in 1883. This enigmatic and controversial character lived in the harbour of Chemulpo most of her life, till she died in 1939, being in Korea when it was a Kingdom, but also when it became an Empire, a protectorate and a Japanese colony. Finally, the last chapter is centred on some interesting facts and things that connected Spain and Korea in the first half of the 20th Century. 
 
(Evangelizacion y prestigio: primeros encuentros entre España y Corea. Ernesto de Laurentis. Editorial Verbum, 2008, 228 pp. ISBN: 978-84-7962-415-6). It can be ordered, at least, in these Spanish e-bookstores: marcialpons.es; casadellibro.com; babellibros.com
 
Regards, 
 
Ernesto de Laurentis, from Madrid.
 
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