352 pp. November 2000
paper, ISBN 978-0-8248-2349-8, $27.00
cloth, ISBN 978-0-8248-2264-4, $56.00
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Keywords: |
Asia
Korea
history
biography
textbook |
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The Spirit Of Independence: A Primer of Korean Modernization and Reform
by Syngman Rhee
trans. by Han-Kyo Kim
Institute for Modern Korean Studies, Yonsei University
"Kim's translation of Rhee's writings was very well done, and the introduction he provides is an important addition.... If there is something to be learned from this book about the book about the man and his presidency, it may be this. Ideology, logic, and knowledge were to serve as the handmaidens of Korean independence and Rhee's ambition,... tools to be used or cast aside for the cause." --Journal of Asian Studies, May 2001"An important work, showing the early political thinking of one of the most influential Korean politicians of his time.... The greater accessibility that this excellent translation affords to Rhee's early political thought will undoubtably contribute to a fairer assessment of his overall contribution to Korean independence in the 20th century.... Not only of interest to historians of modern Korea but also historians of modern Asian nationalism." --Acta Koreana 4 (2001) "The Spirit of Independence reveals something which is often forgotten about [Rhee's] early life--his driving ambition to see his country establish itself as a modern, independent state" --History, July 2002
Syngman Rhee (Yi Sūng-man, 1875-1965) is undoubtedly one of the most important figures in modern Korean history. He emerged as the dominant leader in Korea's nationalist struggle against Japan and served as the first president of the Republic of Korea from 1948 through 1960. Rhee's political career as founder and president, however, was not without controversy. While some hailed him as "the George Washington of Korea," others regarded Rhee as "a little Chiang Kai-shek." This first English translation of Rhee's magnum opus, The Spirit of Independence (Tongnip chōngsin), provides readers with an essential key to understanding the breadth and depth of Rhee's thought at a critical juncture in his life and his country's history.
Han-Kyo Kim is professor emeritus of political science at the University of Cincinnati.
Read the introduction (PDF).
table of contents
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