A collection of humorous stories gathered from in and around Pyongyang. Black comedy as it really happened then and continues to this day. Dear reader, This book is not fiction but really shows what happened albeit in a humorous manner. These anecdotes depicted as ‘black comedies’ actually happened and continue to this day. You can’t … [Read More]
Archives: Books (page 31)
The Woman From The North: Between Life and Death in North Korea
A very special story of crossing the border of North Korea for just to be alive and survived. Countless surviving and miraculous dramatic moments, in the ordinary North Korean’s life will definitely keep you in suspended and thrilled. Exceptionally heart touching and Eyes-opening. True story of an Extremely strong-willed individual Who was Born at The … [Read More]
Miracles in Korea
Miracles in Korea is a collection of thirty-eight stories about Korean mountain wizards, Taoist hermits with supernatural powers, divine Taoists, and divine beings, who enjoy perennial youth, longevity, and immortality, and sometimes ascend to heaven. Its author, Hong Manjong (1643-1725), drew upon A Survey of the Geography of Korea and several unauthorized chronicles and compiled … [Read More]
A History of Football in North and South Korea c.1910–2002 Development and Diffusion
For the Koreans, no sport has surpassed football in terms of its popularity and national importance, from the Japanese colonization era onwards. However, its importance has developed over time as a result of unusual and agonizing historical events, including the tragic split between North and South Korea. This volume attempts to assess football’s changing political … [Read More]
South Korea’s Democracy Challenge: Political System, Political Economy, and Political Society
Thirty years have passed since in 1987 formal democratization was achieved in South Korea. Since then the country has undergone the two turnover test (Huntington), and it overcame economic, financial, and political crises. However, social inequality is higher than before democratization, social conflict has been exacerbating, and political polarization has been on the rise. South … [Read More]
The Proposal
In The Proposal, a space opera romance set against the backdrop of a looming colossal war between Earth and a mysterious adversary, a story of love unfolds through a series of intimate letters. This poignant novella explores how a space-born soldier’s gradual involvement with an escalating conflict intertwines with a heartfelt proposal to his Earth-born partner, … [Read More]
Modern Korean Digraphia: Metanarration and National Identity, 1894–1972
William Strnad traces the formation and development of modern Korean digraphia during the years 1894–1972, including a description and analysis of the historical discourse related to Korean phonetic script and Chinese characters. Modern Korean digraphia was contextualized and altered amid the global emancipation and speculative metanarratives of modernity, and the national metanarratives of nationalism and … [Read More]
A Necessary Lie: Escape for Freedom and Love
This inspiring, unforgettable true story takes you on a journey through life in North Korea and the heart-wrenching decision two people make who will risk everything to escape. “Doohyun and Jiyeon’s extraordinary love story shows us that bravery and heart can triumph, even during the most unfathomable of hardships. It is an illuminating, gut-wrenching and … [Read More]
The Armed Forces of North Korea: On the Path of Songun
North Korea’s Armed Forces: On the path of Songun attempts to bring a measure of clarity to the often unclear and complicated state of affairs in the intelligence community of North Korea-watchers. In the process, it seeks to disprove the much-echoed stance that there is little to fear from the DPRK’s conventional military capabilities by providing … [Read More]
North Korea’s Public Face: 20th-century Propaganda Posters from the Zellweger Collection
This catalogue is published to coincide with the UMAG exhibition North Korea’s Public Face: 20th-century Propaganda Posters from the Zellweger Collection. For most people outside of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), it may come as a revelation that art is available in North Korea, or that it is a well-developed feature of national culture. … [Read More]
Architecture and Urbanism in Modern Korea
Although modernization in Korea started more than a century later than in the West, it has been a prominent ideology throughout the past century—bringing radical changes to Korean architecture and cities. Traditional structures and ways of life have been thoroughly uprooted in modernity’s continuous negation of the past. This book presents a comprehensive overview of … [Read More]
The Pusan International Film Festival, South Korean Cinema and Globalization
This book provides a political and cultural exploration of the Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea since its inception in 1996. By paying a particular attention to the organizers’ use of an Asian regionalization strategy, SooJeong Ahn reveals how the festival staked out a unique and influential position within a rapidly changing global landscape. … [Read More]
Korean Masculinities and Transcultural Consumption: Yonsama, Rain, Oldboy, K-Pop Idols
South Korean masculinities have enjoyed dramatically greater influence in recent years in many realms of pan-Asian popular culture, which travels freely in part because of its hybrid trans-nationalistic appeal. This book investigates transcultural consumption of three iconic figures—the middle-aged Japanese female fandom of actor Bae Yong-Joon, the Western online cult fandom of the thriller film Oldboy, … [Read More]
Women We Love: Femininities and the Korean Wave
Women We Love: Femininities and the Korean Wave is an edited volume exploring femininities in and around the Korean Wave since 2000. While studies on the Korean Wave are abundant, there is a dearth of thought put toward the female-identifying stars, characters, and fans who shape and lead this crucial cultural movement. This collection of … [Read More]
Korean Cinema: The New Hong Kong
You don’t have to look very far these days to see the influence that the film industry of Hong Kong has had on moviemaking around the world. Hong Kong film stars, such as Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-fat, Jet Li, and Michelle Yeoh, have become household names headlining Hollywood blockbusters, while directors such as John Woo, … [Read More]
The South Korean Film Industry
As shown by the success of Squid Game and Parasite, South Korea’s film industry is producing films and original series for streaming services, film studios, and television stations worldwide. South Korea is now arguably considered one of the few countries outside the United States to have captivated the world’s hearts and minds through pop music, TV dramas, and … [Read More]