A history of Korea : an episodic narrative / Kyung Moon Hwang.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 281-294) and index.

Machine generated contents note: 1. Koguryo and Ancient Korea -- The Great Battle of Salsu River, 612 -- Ancient Korea and Koguryo -- The rise and fall of Koguryo -- Koguryo and Korean history -- 2. Queen Sondok and Silla's Unification of Korea -- Silla's dispatch of a tribute embassy to China, 643 -- Buddhism and power -- Legends of the unification -- Silla's "winning" features -- 3. The Unified Silla Kingdom -- The assassination of Chang Pogo, 846 -- Chang Pogo, Ch'oe Ch'iwon, and Unified Silla Society -- Silla and northeast Asia -- Local strongmen and the end of Silla -- 4. Founding of the Koryo Dynasty -- The issuance of Wang Kon's "Ten Injunctions," 943 -- "Great Founder of Korea" -- Content of the Ten Injunctions -- Legacy -- 5. Religion and Regionalism in the Koryo Order -- The outbreak of the Myoch'ong Rebellion, 1135 -- The institutionalized influence of the Buddhist clergy -- Myoch' ong's rebellion -- Aftermath

6. The Mongol Overlord Period -- The marriage of Lady Ki to the Yuan emperor, 1340 -- The Mongol conquest -- Koryo women in the Mongol empire -- 7. Koryo-Choson Transition -- Yi Pangwon's purge of Chong Tojon, 1398 -- Chong Tojon: From mastermind to political power -- A renaissance, revolution, or coup? -- Yi Pangwon's impact -- 8. Confucianism and the Family in the Early Choson Dynasty -- The drafting of the Yi family inheritance testament, 1541 -- Early Choson Confucianism -- Confucian family law and women's standing -- 9. The Great Invasions, 1592-1636 -- The return to duty of Admiral Yi Sunsin, 1597 -- Problems in the Korean response -- Narratives of heroism -- The regional order remade -- 10. Ideology, Family, and Nationhood in the Mid-Choson Era -- The birth of a son to Lady Chang, 1688 -- King Sukchong's triangles -- Famous females -- Latency of the mid-Choson order -- 11. Intellectual Opening in the Late Eighteenth Century -- The return of Pak Chega to Korea, 1778 -- "Utility for the greater good" -- The sprouts of modernity?

12. Popular Culture in the Late Choson Era -- Publication of Observations from the Countryside, 1862 -- Tales of the people -- Other cultural forms -- Popular culture and social consciousness -- 13. Nineteenth-Century Unrest -- The destruction of the American merchant ship, the General Sherman, 1866 -- The nineteenth century issue and internal problems -- The arrival of imperialism -- 14. 1894, A Fateful Year -- The occupation of the royal palace by Japanese soldiers, July 1894 -- The Tonghak spark -- A shrimp caught in a whale fight -- The spirit of Kabo -- 15. The Great Korean Empire -- The opening of the Seoul-Inch' on rail line, 1899 -- Korea and the new empires -- Trade and industry -- The spirit of enlightenment -- 16. The Japanese Takeover, 1904-18 -- The secret mission to The Hague, 1907 -- Autonomy and modern history -- Force and pushback -- The deft hand of conquest -- 17. The Long 1920s -- Opening of a special exhibition of Na Hyesok's paintings, 1921 -- The March First movement and cultural rule -- Korean females in the new age -- Religion and social change

18. Nation, Culture, and Everyday Life in the Late Colonial Period -- The doctoring of a newspaper photo of the Olympic marathon champion, 1936 -- Expression, within limits -- The quotidia blossoming of modern culture -- 19. Wartime Mobilization, 1938-45 -- The visit by authors Yi Kwangsu and Ch'oe Namson to Japan, 1943 -- Industrialization and state domination -- Resignation, collaboration, and modern identity -- The grand narrative: Independence movements -- 20. The Liberation Period, 1945-50 -- The May elections in southern Korea, 1948 -- The primacy of politics: A multi-lateral dynamic -- Implanting the southern system -- A troubling historical shadow -- 21. The Korean War -- The Chinese entrance into the Korean war, November 1950 -- Civil wars amidst the cold war -- 6-25 -- Chinese intervention and the stalemate -- 22. Early North Korea -- Kim Il Sung's "Juche" speech, 1955 -- Liberation space North Korea -- The formative fifties -- Juche, history, and legitimacy

23. 1960s South Korea -- Demonstrations against the normalization of relations with Japan, spring 1964 -- Dictatorship, democracy, and revolutions -- Park Chung Hee -- Economic takeoff -- Youth and angst -- 24. Culture and Politics in 1970s South Korea -- Publication of Kim Chiha's "Five Bandits," May 1970 -- The Yusin decade -- Literary resistance -- Mass culture under the Yusin -- 25. Monumental Life in North Korea -- Groundbreaking for the Ryugyong Hotel, 1987 -- The historical challenge -- Historical path, 1970s to 2000s -- Monumental life -- 26. South Korean Democratization -- The June Declaration of 1987 -- The prelude: Kwangju, May 1980 -- The democracy generation -- The 1987 declaration and election -- 27. South Korea in the New Millennium -- Quarterfinal match versus Spain in the 2002 World Cup finals -- Economic growth: A reconsideration -- Women and family: Seismic shifts -- Toward a new era.

Presenting the richness of Korean civilization from early state formation to the jarring transformations resulting in two distinctive trajectories of modern development, this book introduces the country's major historical events, patterns, and debates. Organised both chronologically and thematically, the 27 concise chapters explore recurring themes such as Korean identity, external influence, and family and gender. This lively narrative assumes no prior knowledge, inviting readers to appreciate both the distinctiveness and universality of Korean history.