By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
In Korea's foreign policy game, regular players are without fail the United States and Japan ― respectively Korea's first Western treaty partner (1882) and former colonizer (1910-45) ― while China and Russia can also be added to the roster.
Today, intense public outrage over American beef imports is fueling the summer heat, and while partnership among East Asian countries is a top priority, unresolved issues like the one concerning World War II sex slaves (``comfort women'') continue to haunt Korea-Japan relations.
A book written in English takes us back to the late 19th century, the beginning of it all. ``Early Korean Encounters With the United States and Japan'' gives an overview of Korea's history from the Joseon Kingdom's (1392-1910) first opening to the West in 1882 to its demise under Japanese colonial power in 1910.
The author Lew Young-ick is a chair professor at Yonsei University and council member of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch. The book is a careful selection of Lew's research over the past 30 years. His work have been published and presented at major international conferences and served as reading material in related courses at Stanford University.