Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book reviews South Korea's experiences of kundaehwa or catching up with the West with a focus on three major historical projects – namely, expansion of new education, industrialization and democratization. It explains how the historical transformation was made possible in the personalistic environment. The book explores how difficult is it to build an orderly public domain in the personalistic modern Korea, and how do Koreans respond to this dilemma of modernization. It also explains how personalistic modern Korea is. The book covers the transition period from 1876 to the end of colonial period in 1945. It investigates the modernization processes of South Korea after Liberation. It ends with the observation that while Korea transformed itself as an urban market society, Koreans did not become individualistic with modernization or Westernization.