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A review by munjoyu
The Korean War: A History by Bruce Cumings
5.0
I grew up during the military dictatorship in South Korea.
This book showed me how the lies and propagandas engraved into my brain are still affecting me
even after all my conscious efforts ever since they started to crack during my college years.
I can hardly believe anyone can miss the following clear picture emerging from the book.
1. Korean liberators fought hard against Japanese imperialism especially in Manchuria
2. After Japan defeated, Korea was going to establish a truly independent people's government with the liberators at its core purging all the major collaborators.
3. US came in the souther part of Korea as occupation forces and nullified all these by keeping collaborators as "their" collaborators.
4. This triggered tremendous resistance in Koreans, which US (through its collaborators) suppressed by killing more than 100 thousand before the Kroean war
5. The liberators formed North Korea, and the collaborators formed South Korea
6. The liberators in the North decided to liberate South Korea as well, so the Korean War began
7. The entire liberation was going to be completed
8. US not only killed it, but also attempted to eliminate the entire North Korea by bombing
a total of 635,000 tons of bombs, including 32,557 tons of napalm, which was more than those dropped in the Pacific war
9. Total Korean deaths were more than 3 million and majority of them were civilians
10. The modern US super power was established thru the Korean War by perpetuating its huge military budges
11. Japan came back as an industrial power through the war
12. North Korea survived and rebounded quickly, but has been suffering from US sanctions and hostilitiy
13. South Korea continued to be governed by the collaborators and thuds with a lot of suffering. However more and more of its citizens enlightened and learned democracy, and flourished against all the odds.
My heart goes to the two Koreas with tears and pride
This book showed me how the lies and propagandas engraved into my brain are still affecting me
even after all my conscious efforts ever since they started to crack during my college years.
I can hardly believe anyone can miss the following clear picture emerging from the book.
1. Korean liberators fought hard against Japanese imperialism especially in Manchuria
2. After Japan defeated, Korea was going to establish a truly independent people's government with the liberators at its core purging all the major collaborators.
3. US came in the souther part of Korea as occupation forces and nullified all these by keeping collaborators as "their" collaborators.
4. This triggered tremendous resistance in Koreans, which US (through its collaborators) suppressed by killing more than 100 thousand before the Kroean war
5. The liberators formed North Korea, and the collaborators formed South Korea
6. The liberators in the North decided to liberate South Korea as well, so the Korean War began
7. The entire liberation was going to be completed
8. US not only killed it, but also attempted to eliminate the entire North Korea by bombing
a total of 635,000 tons of bombs, including 32,557 tons of napalm, which was more than those dropped in the Pacific war
9. Total Korean deaths were more than 3 million and majority of them were civilians
10. The modern US super power was established thru the Korean War by perpetuating its huge military budges
11. Japan came back as an industrial power through the war
12. North Korea survived and rebounded quickly, but has been suffering from US sanctions and hostilitiy
13. South Korea continued to be governed by the collaborators and thuds with a lot of suffering. However more and more of its citizens enlightened and learned democracy, and flourished against all the odds.
My heart goes to the two Koreas with tears and pride