ABSTRACT
Korea has long been characterized by its division, physically and ideologically. The majority of recent studies therefore focus on the antithetical political systems and Manichean dynamic created by the internecine Korean War (1950–1953) and subsequent bipolar developments. Yet the two Koreas remain dialectical: they are connected through their opposition and diametrically opposed existences. It is based on this understanding that Richey, Panda, and Tizzard propose a new analytical lens focused on Korean unity rather than Korean separation. From this starting point, the introduction then raises a series of important questions to be explored as the book unfolds. It encourages the reader to consider how a Korea free from great power politics would define or construct a unified body politic. It highlights the potential for cultural and political cooperation. And it asks, at an existential level, what it means to be Korea(n) in the twenty-first century. Having established the key areas of research, the introduction then outlines the book’s structure and the key contributions from each scholar.
