Korea continues to be featured in the news, especially after the succession of Kim Jong-un as leader of North Korea and his threats of nuclear attack. Yet the reported instability of the North is contrasted by the rapid modernization revolution of the South. Author Djun Kil Kim analyzes how tragic experiences in the regions' collective history--particularly Japanese colonial rule and the division of the country--have contributed to the dichotomous state of affairs in the Koreas.

This comprehensive overview traces the development of two contradistinctive nations--North and South...