Download or read book Han S rya and North Korean Literature written by Brian Myers and published by Cornell East Asia Series. This book was released on 1994 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This first and only study of North Korean literary history by a Western scholar deals with the crucial role played by Han S rya, chairman of the D.P.R.K.'s Federation of Literature and Art from 1948 to his purge in 1962, both in devising the iconography of Kim Il Sung's personality cult and in defining the early course of North Korean letters. Through brief studies of Han's own canonical works the author also sets out to dispel the widely-held assumption that North Korean literature is compatible with Soviet and Chinese socialist realism. The appendix includes a complete translation of Han's 1951 novella Jackals(S ngnyangi).
Download or read book Soldiers on the Cultural Front written by Tatiana Gabroussenko and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2010-07-26 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An understanding of contemporary North Korea’s literature is virtually impossible without an investigation of its formative period, 1945–1960, which saw a gradual transformation from the initial "Soviet era" to a Korean version of "national Stalinism." This turbulent epoch established a long-lasting framework for North Korean literature and set up an elaborate system of political control over literary matters, as well as over the people who served in this field. In 1946 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Il Sung described the country’s writers as "soldiers on the cultural front," thus clearly defining what the nascent Communist regime expected from its intellectuals. As a result, many literary nonentities were rewarded with fame and success (often only to be relegated once again to obscurity within a few years) while many outstanding luminaries of the past were erased from the pages of official publications or even lost their lives. The Soviet cultural impact brought new tropes, artistic images, and rhetoric, which were quickly absorbed into the North Korean discourse. However, the cultural politics of the DPRK and the USSR revealed profound and irreconcilable disparities that were rooted in the different political conditions and traditions of each country. Soldiers on the Cultural Front presents the first consistent research on the early history of North Korea’s literature and literary policy in Western scholarship. It traces the introduction and development of Soviet-organized conventions in North Korean literary propaganda and investigates why the "romance with Moscow" was destined to be short lived. It reconstructs the biographies and worldviews of major personalities who shaped North Korean literature and teases these historical figures out of popular scholarly myth and misconception. The book also investigates the specific forms of control over intellectuals and literary matters in North Korea. Considering the unique phenomenon of North Korean literary critique, the author analyzes the political campaigns and purges of 1947–1960 and investigates the role of North Korean critics as "political executioners" in these events. She draws on an impressive variety and number of sources—ranging from interviews with Korean and Soviet participants, public and family archives, and memoirs to original literary and critical texts—to present a balanced and eye-opening work that will benefit those interested in not only understanding North Korean literature and society, but also rethinking forms of socialist modernity elsewhere in the world.
Download or read book The Columbia Companion to Modern East Asian Literature written by Joshua S. Mostow and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2003-07-10 with total page 815 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This extraordinary one-volume guide to the modern literatures of China, Japan, and Korea is the definitive reference work on the subject in the English language. With more than one hundred articles that show how a host of authors and literary movements have contributed to the general literary development of their respective countries, this companion is an essential starting point for the study of East Asian literatures. Comprehensive thematic essays introduce each geographical section with historical overviews and surveys of persistent themes in the literature examined, including nationalism, gender, family relations, and sexuality. Following the thematic essays are the individual entries: over forty for China, over fifty for Japan, and almost thirty for Korea, featuring everything from detailed analyses of the works of Tanizaki Jun'ichiro and Murakami Haruki, to far-ranging explorations of avant-garde fiction in China and postwar novels in Korea. Arrayed chronologically, each entry is self-contained, though extensive cross-referencing affords readers the opportunity to gain a more synoptic view of the work, author, or movement. The unrivaled opportunities for comparative analysis alone make this unique companion an indispensable reference for anyone interested in the burgeoning field of Asian literature. Although the literatures of China, Japan, and Korea are each allotted separate sections, the editors constantly kept an eye open to those writers, works, and movements that transcend national boundaries. This includes, for example, Chinese authors who lived and wrote in Japan; Japanese authors who wrote in classical Chinese; and Korean authors who write in Japanese, whether under the colonial occupation or because they are resident in Japan. The waves of modernization can be seen as reaching each of these countries in a staggered fashion, with eddies and back-flows between them then complicating the picture further. This volume provides a vivid sense of this dynamic interplay.
Download or read book Why We Write written by Jim Downs and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-11-05 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why We Write provides a forum for scholars, activists, and novelists to reflect on the ways in which they use their writing and academic work to create social change. This volume uncovers the political agendas, social missions, and personal and professional experiences that compel writers to bring their stories to the page. Why We Write examines the dual commitment of writing articles and books that are committed to high scholarly standards as well as social justice. These essays will be of great interest to college and graduate students who currently lack a model of social justice scholarship.
Download or read book Your Republic Is Calling You written by Young-ha Kim and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2010-09-28 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This psychological thriller of a North Korean spy living in Seoul is “perhaps the most intriguing and accomplished Korean fiction yet to appear in English” (Kirkus). Foreign film importer Kim Ki-Yong is a family man with a wife and daughter. Living a prosperous life in Seoul, South Korea, he’s an aficionado of Heineken, soccer, and sushi. But he is also a North Korean spy who has been living among his enemies for twenty-one years. Then, after more than a decade of silence from the home office, he receives a mysterious email stating that he has one day to return to headquarters. But is the message really from Pyongyang—or has he been discovered? And if the message is real, is he being called home to receive new orders or to be executed for a lack of diligence? Spanning the course of a single day, Your Republic Is Calling You delves deep into a gripping family secret to ask whether we ever truly know the people we love. Mining the political and cultural transformations of South Korea since the 1980s, author Young-ha Kim confronts moral questions on small and large scales. “This intense novel’s bristling plot—confined to the events of a single day—ironically echoes that of Joyce’s masterpiece Ulysses.”—Kirkus
Download or read book Rewriting Revolution written by Immanuel Kim and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2018-04-30 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: North Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), is firmly fixed in the Western imagination as a barbaric vestige of the Cold War, a “rogue” nation that refuses to abide by international norms. It is seen as belligerent and oppressive, a poor nation bent on depriving its citizens of their basic human rights and expanding its nuclear weapons program at the expense of a faltering economy. Even the North’s literary output is stigmatized and dismissed as mere propaganda literature praising the Great Leader. Immanuel Kim’s book confronts these stereotypes, offering a more complex portrayal of literature in the North based on writings from the 1960s to the present. The state, seeking to “write revolution,” prescribes grand narratives populated with characters motivated by their political commitments to the leader, the Party, the nation, and the collective. While acknowledging these qualities, Kim argues for deeper readings. In some novels and stories, he finds, the path to becoming a revolutionary hero or heroine is no longer a simple matter of formulaic plot progression; instead it is challenged, disrupted, and questioned by individual desires, decisions, doubts, and imaginations. Fiction in the 1980s in particular exhibits refreshing story lines and deeper character development along with creative approaches to delineating women, sexuality, and the family. These changes are so striking that they have ushered in what Kim calls a Golden Age of North Korean fiction. Rewriting Revolution charts the insightful literary frontiers that critically portray individuals negotiating their political and sexual identities in a revolutionary state. In this fresh and thought-provoking analysis of North Korean fiction, Kim looks past the ostensible state propaganda to explore the dynamic literary world where individuals with human emotions reside. His book fills a major lacuna and will be of interest to literary scholars and historians of East Asia, as well as to scholars of global and comparative studies in socialist countries.
Download or read book Understanding North Korea written by Jongwoo Han and published by . This book was released on 2015-08-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For South Korean scholars, North Korea is a subject of research pregnant with the meaning of survival of the Korean Peninsula. Based on such a unique position, authors in this book raise and address questions such as how long stability will be maintained in the Kim Jong-un regime, who the power elites behind the system are, and if the North Korean economy is still a Communist planned economy.
Download or read book How I Became a North Korean written by Krys Lee and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Three young people struggle to make new lives for themselves in the dangerous region where China borders North Korea.
Download or read book The Red Years written by Bandi, and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-08-15 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Though North Korea holds the attention of the world, it is still rare for us to hear North Korean voices, beyond those few who have escaped. Known only by his pen name, the poet and author 'Bandi' stands as one of the most distinctive and original dissident writers to emerge from the country, and his work is all the more striking for the fact that he continues to reside in North Korea, writing in secret, with his work smuggled out of the country by supporters and relatives. The Red Years represents the first collection of Bandi's poetry to be made available in English. As he did in his first work The Accusation, Bandi here gives us a rare glimpse into everyday life and survival in North Korea. Singularly poignant and evocative, The Red Years stands as a testament to the power of the human spirit to endure and resist even the most repressive of regimes.
Download or read book Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Korea written by James E. Hoare and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2020-10-13 with total page 873 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: South Korea (Republic of Korea) is the more successful of the two Koreas in both economic and political terms. Even the Asian economic crisis of 1997–1998, which hit badly, was weathered successfully, and when the next crisis came along in 2007, South Korea coped better than many other countries. This economic strength, taken with the steady progress of democratization since 1987, indicates that when the peninsula is eventually reunified, as one day it probably will be, a new unified Korea will follow the South Korea model rather than that of North Korea. This fourth edition of Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Korea contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities as well as aspects of the country’s politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Republic of Korea.
Download or read book Now We Can Speak written by North Korean Writers in Exile PEN Center and published by neodig. This book was released on 2017-06-20 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The fact that freedom is not allowed is evidence that a terrible dictatorship controls everything. Dictatorship doesn’t just fail to recognize the value of the people. It rejects an individual’s wisdom and creativity, turning him or her into a merely utilizable slave. That is the present tyranny of the North Korean regime. This collection focuses on the suppression of freedom, which is only one part of the many ways in which the North Korean regime ruthlessly represses and legislates to control the North Korean people. The stories selected for inclusion in this book are factual. North Korea is a human rights wasteland in which a single word not in accordance with regime maintenance can have you violently dragged in and, quite possibly, executed. That it is an inhumane hostile power which must be overthrown as quickly as possible it demonstrates all by itself. There is no other country in the world today that uses innocent humans as disposable byproducts in the maintenance of their regime as does the North Korean dictatorship. Sixteen members of the North Korean Writers in Exile Center of PEN International together with other defector North Korean writers have compiled the pieces found in this book to send a message to the people of South Korea and the world’s conscience that there should no longer be silence on the North Korean human rights situation. Please read this collection closely, and without anger. Publisher, Lee Ji-myung Chairman of the North Korean Writers in Exile PEN Center
Download or read book The Virtual Weapon and International Order written by Lucas Kello and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2017-09-26 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An urgently needed examination of the current cyber revolution that draws on case studies to develop conceptual frameworks for understanding its effects on international order The cyber revolution is the revolution of our time. The rapid expansion of cyberspace brings both promise and peril. It promotes new modes of political interaction, but it also disrupts interstate dealings and empowers non-state actors who may instigate diplomatic and military crises. Despite significant experience with cyber phenomena, the conceptual apparatus to analyze, understand, and address their effects on international order remains primitive. Here, Lucas Kello adapts and applies international relations theory to create new ways of thinking about cyber strategy. Kello draws on a broad range of case studies, including the Estonian crisis, the Olympic Games operation against Iran, and the cyber attack against Sony Pictures. Synthesizing qualitative data from government documents, forensic reports of major incidents and interviews with senior officials from around the globe, this important work establishes new conceptual benchmarks to help security experts adapt strategy and policy to the unprecedented challenges of our times.
Download or read book Value Changes of the North Korean New Generation and Prospects written by Sun-hŭi Im and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Literature and Film in Cold War South Korea written by Theodore Hughes and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2012-03-20 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Korean writers and filmmakers crossed literary and visual cultures in multilayered ways under Japanese colonial rule (1910–1945). Taking advantage of new modes and media that emerged in the early twentieth century, these artists sought subtle strategies for representing the realities of colonialism and global modernity. Theodore Hughes begins by unpacking the relations among literature, film, and art in Korea's colonial period, paying particular attention to the emerging proletarian movement, literary modernism, nativism, and wartime mobilization. He then demonstrates how these developments informed the efforts of post-1945 writers and filmmakers as they confronted the aftershocks of colonialism and the formation of separate regimes in North and South Korea. Hughes puts neglected Korean literary texts, art, and film into conversation with studies on Japanese imperialism and Korea's colonial history. At the same time, he locates post-1945 South Korean cultural production within the transnational circulation of texts, ideas, and images that took place in the first three decades of the Cold War. The incorporation of the Korean Peninsula into the global Cold War order, Hughes argues, must be understood through the politics of the visual. In Literature and Film in Cold War South Korea, he identifies ways of seeing that are central to the organization of a postcolonial culture of division, authoritarianism, and modernization.
Download or read book Dust and Other Stories written by T'aejun Yi and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2018-04-24 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Yi T’aejun was one of twentieth-century Korea’s true masters of the short story—and a man who in 1946 stunned his contemporaries by moving to the Soviet-occupied northern zone of his country. In South Korea, where he is known today as “one who went north,” Yi’s work was banned until 1988. His momentous decision did not lead him to a safe haven, however: though initially welcomed into the literary establishment, North Korea sent him into internal exile in the 1950s, and little is known of his fate. Dust and Other Stories offers a selection of Yi’s stories across time and place, showcasing a superb stylist caught up in the midst of his era’s most urgent ideological and aesthetic divides. This collection unites his earlier modernist masterpieces from the colonial era with his little-known work penned during North Korea’s founding years, offering a rare glimpse into the making—and crossing—of the border between south and north. During the turbulent final years of Japanese rule, Yi’s elegant yet subdued stories championed both his native tongue and the belief in the capacity of art. In the heavily politicized environment of the North, his later works maintain a faith in the art of storytelling and a concern for the disappearance of customs in the throes of modernization. Throughout both eras, Yi focused on ordinary people: old men struggling to understand a changing world, lovers meeting up among ancient ruins, a lively widow targeted by a literacy campaign, a bourgeois couple trying to sustain themselves during the war by breeding rabbits, and more. Magnificently translated by Janet Poole, Yi’s work bears witness to global turmoil with a melancholic sense of enduring beauty.
Download or read book North Korea Demystified written by Han S. Park and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The death of Kim Jong Il and succession of his son Kim Jong Un, and recent reopening of bilateral discussions with the United States further increase the necessity of a nuanced understanding of contemporary society within the DPRK. If the world is to effectively deal with the reality of North Korea, reliable information is critical. North Korea Demystified is a response to this problem. It takes as its point of departure the notion that all leaders and governments, no matter how odd or dysfunctional their behavior may seem, act in a fundamentally rational --
Download or read book Summary the Girl with Seven Names written by Abbey Beathan and published by . This book was released on 2018-07-07 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story by Hyeonseo Lee | Book Summary | Abbey Beathan (Disclaimer: This is NOT the original book. If you're looking for the original book, search this link: http://amzn.to/2Et10GU) An insight into the realities of living under dictatorship and the struggles of a young woman trying to escape from the clutches of the vile regime. The story of a woman trying to escape from North Korea and to live with her family in peace. The Girl with Seven Names give us an interesting perspective of what it is like to live under a ruthless dictatorship. The protagonist at the beginning thought her country was alright, but when she realized how others countries live, her whole world fell apart and realized how brutal the life she was currently living was. And thus, her adventure began, a 17 year old girl committed to escape from communism. (Note: This summary is wholly written and published by Abbey Beathan. It is not affiliated with the original author in any way) "Dictatorships may seem strong and unified, but they are always weaker than they appear." - Hyeonseo Lee Learning about the state of mind of a person living under a terrible dictatorship is extremely useful for building empathy and comprehending very important historic truths. That's why The Girl with Seven Names brings so much value, it portrays a harsh reality and with a brilliant narrative, manages to deliver an interesting and complicated story about the realities people who were born in the wrong country at the wrong time have to face. The unique story of Hyneonseo's escape and the reintegration with her family. A truly touching and exciting book. P.S. The Girl with Seven Names is an outstanding book that teaches us a brutal truth through an outstanding story. P.P.S. It was Albert Einstein who famously said that once you stop learning, you start dying. It was Bill Gates who said that he would want the ability to read faster if he could only have one superpower in this world. Abbey Beathan's mission is to bring across amazing golden nuggets in amazing books through our summaries. Our vision is to make reading non-fiction fun, dynamic and captivating. Ready To Be A Part Of Our Vision & Mission? Scroll Up Now and Click on the "Buy now with 1-Click" Button to Get Your Copy. Why Abbey Beathan's Summaries? How Can Abbey Beathan Serve You? Amazing Refresher if you've read the original book before Priceless Checklist in case you missed out any crucial lessons/details Perfect Choice if you're interested in the original book but never read it before FREE 2 Page Printable Summary BONUS for you to paste in on your office, home etc Disclaimer Once Again: This book is meant for a great companionship of the original book or to simply get the gist of the original book. If you're looking for the original book, search for this link: http://amzn.to/2Et10GU "One of the greatest and most powerful gift in life is the gift of knowledge. The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge" - Abbey Beathan
