Korea 1905–1945: From Japanese Colonialism to Liberation and Independence

From the publisher’s website:

This important new study by one of Korea’s leading historians focuses on the international relations of colonial Korea – from the Japanese rule of the peninsula and its foreign relations (1905–1945) to the ultimate liberation of the country at the end of the Second World War. In addition, it fills a significant gap – the ‘blank space’ – in Korean diplomatic history. Furthermore, it highlights several other fundamental aspects in the history of modern Korea, such as the historical perception of the policy-making process and the attitudes of both China and Britain which influenced US policy regarding Korea at the end of World War II.

‘As a carefully crafted work of diplomatic history, Ku’s book identifies and explains the key events that drove this tumultuous period in Korea’s past….But more broadly, Ku also provides us with a thoughtful examination of the nature of ‘international politics’ in a polity subject to the rule of another. In exploring the ‘Korean question’ within the wider ebb and flow and imperial visions and forces within and beyond the region, it sheds light on the entangled politics of competing empires and nationalisms in the making of modern East Asia.’ – Robert Fletcher & Tehyun Ma, Series Editors Renaissance Books Imperialism in East Asia Series