Korea

“Cha and Pacheco Pardo have years of expertise in Korean international relations. . . . . A crisp and balanced account.”—Christopher Harding, The Telegraph

“Cha and Pacheco Pardo offer a sure-footed guide to the two countries’ divergent paths and their fraught fraternal relationship.”—Andrew J. Nathan, Foreign Affairs

“A vivid and fast-paced account, with particular appeal to a general readership. . . . Cha and Pardo, two deeply knowledgeable Korea hands, retell the story of the modern history of Korea.”—John Nilsson-Wright, Global Asia

“This is well conducted and addresses issues relating to the two countries in a balanced manner.”—Rémy Hémez, Politque étrangè

“The hot pink cover, friendly tones, and personal anecdotes of interactions with Koreans make the book highly approachable for readers who are new to Korea, but also enjoyable for seasoned Koreanists. . . . Highly accessible and engaging.”—Jay Song, Australian Outlook

“Anyone looking for a modern history of North and South Korea will find this the best available.”—Brandon Palmer, Pacific Affairs

“Korea gives the answer to the lingering enigma of how two extremely different systems, one globally flying and the other falling to the bottom, have evolved from the same people—and where they will go from here. . . . A must-read.”—Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary General of the UN

“A brisk, insightful narrative of the emergence of two Koreas, South and North, their diverging but intertwined paths over the past seventy-five plus years, and the prospects for reunification. . . . Foreign policy experts and K-pop fans alike will enjoy and benefit from this book.”—Kathleen Stephens, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (2008–11)

“A highly readable history of the Korean peninsula. . . . A must-read to understand how one ill-informed moment in history led to an ongoing human tragedy and geopolitical challenge.”—Anna Fifield, Asia-Pacific editor, Washington Post

“Victor Cha and Ramon Pacheco Pardo have done the nearly impossible: They have managed to write a succinct and readable history of Korea over the past hundred years that does full justice to this complicated and fascinating story.”—Sue Mi Terry, director, Asia Program & Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy, Wilson Center

“The authors begin their book by posing this question: ‘What circumstances led the same people to live in such starkly different conditions?’ This in fact is a question which often dogs casual Korea watchers. If you are one of them, this is one of the best books I can recommend to you. Among other things, it was written by two of the most qualified western observers of the two Koreas.”—Ahn Ho-young, Chair Professor of North Korean Studies, Kyungnam University, and ROK Ambassador to the United States (2013–17)