Recent Books

One Alliance, Two Lenses

Shin Gi-wook; Stanford University Press: 276 pp., $22.95

The book explores U.S.-Korea relations during 1992-2003, a period that witnessed the end of the Cold War, South Korea’s full democratization, inter-Korean engagement, two nuclear crises, and the start of the U.S. war on terrorism. These events have led to a new era of challenges and opportunities for U.S.-South Korea relations.

Based on analysis of major American and Korean newspapers, this book argues that the two allies have developed different lenses through which they view their relationship.

The author argues that U.S.-Korea relations, closely related to the issue of national identity for Koreans are largely treated as a matter of policy for Americans ― a difference stemming from each nation’s relative power and role in the international system.

Offering rich empirical data and analysis of a critically important bilateral relationship, Shin also present policy suggestions to improve a relationship, which ― after 50 years ― has come under more sustained and serious criticism than ever before.

-Chung Ah-young