Monograph on “Modern Korea. Metamorphoses of Turbulent Years"

9 December 2020

The “Olma” Publishing House has released the monograph by A.Torkunov, G.Toloraya and I.Dyachkov entitled “Modern Korea. Metamorphoses of Turbulent Years”.

This comprehensive study of contemporary Korean history and politics is based on the analysis of the most recent data and covers the period that has passed since the publication in 2008 of the monograph by A.Torkunov, V.Denisov and V.Lee “The Korean Peninsula. Metamorphoses of Post-War History”. Considered together, the two volumes provide a comprehensive view of Korea's post-1945 history.

The new book comprises three sections. In the first, the authors consider the political and socio-economic changes having taken place in the North and South of Korea from 2008 to 2020, also paying attention to how the two states evolved in their interaction with the main regional powers and between themselves. The second part focuses on the analysis of the Korean issue as a key one for international policy in Northeast Asia. The authors analyse the nuclear question and consider different paths for its resolution in bilateral and multilateral formats. The last section of the monograph offers an overview of Russia's policy towards the Korean Peninsula, offering a detailed description of the political and economic ties that our country has developed with the Republic of Korea and the DPRK, as well as of how Russian diplomacy has affected the Korean settlement.

The new edition is without doubt unique for Korean studies, both in Russia and globally. It is the first major monograph to offer a complete and detailed picture of Korean social life over the eventful decade. The authors identify the historical processes, which impact the development of the country today and will influence it in the near future.

Similarly to the first volume, this new book will be useful to experts in oriental studies, to students as well as to a wider audience interested in the history and the current challenges faced by the Korean Peninsula.