The Origins of the Korean War, Volume I: Liberation and the Emergence of Separate Regimes, 1945-1947

It is with appreciation and gratitude that I approach scholars like Bruce Cumings. Courageous, meticulous, and honest, Cumings examines in painstaking detail the societal structure of the Korean state from the end of the Yi Choson dynasty to the role Korea played as a component of the Japanese empire to the various political movements that came to the surface upon Japan's defeat. Cumings illustrates the existence of true patriots - nationalists who had never collaborated with the occupying Japanese colonizers - who organized a People's Republic which, despite its leftist leanings, did not have in its agenda the establishment of a totalitarian dictatorship. These individuals wanted to establish an independent Korea for Koreans and sadly they were obstructed by corrupt, moneyed rightists whose ancestors came from the entrenched landlord/yangban class which had always occupied the highest strata of traditional Korean society - but who had also maintained their privileges by collaborating with the hated Japanese invaders. And unbeknownst to so many in America, Cumings explains the history of the Soviet-American division of the peninsula - trusteeship, the attitudes by Soviet and American military authorities towards the established People's Republic, the Moscow accords. It is not without truth that to this day, North Korea calls the Seoul regime "US imperialists' puppets." Kim Il Sung rose to power thanks to Soviet backing and by eliminating rivals, many of who had also spent their lives fighting Japan, and the cult of personality that North Korea is today is not what the leaders of the Korean People's Republic wanted for their people. This book is a MUST for anyone who wants more than a cursory and cosmetic grasp of the events that unfolded in Korea in 1950. I will soon order volume 2!

It is my pleasure to emphatically claimthat Mr Cummings have done an outstandingresearch job regarding what really happened before the Korean War. Thismonumental work sheds light into a coveredpart of history that many people areunaware of. Having read this book,I'm really doubtfull about all the conservativeclaims that N. Korea was the sole culprit of the War.No Korean history is complete without this book.

This is simply the quintessential text on Korea in the 20th century. Both Volume I and Volume II are necessary additions to ANY university library. It is THE book to read for any and all people whose personal or professional lives deal with Korea or Koreans. Reading both volumes is a task, but there is something for everyone in this work, even if you just skip around. It is supported by heavy use of primary documentation and the sources are well cited. There are simply no sources on Korean history, society and politcs that do better (and more) than this work. Highly recommended!

I'm a 25 years old Korean man and had grown under absolute anti-communism eduaction under dictatorship of Chun,doowhan. We all hated North Koreans mainly because they began Korean war and -we believed-they were soviet agent. We were taught that America is good-democratic country which aided democratic Korea,and Soviet and China are invaders. But under Chun-U.S.A dictator regime,University students studied our hidden modern history with books like cumings',and new view about Korea had spread out. So I could study hidden part of history with translated books of cumings' Cumings,who is an American historian, pointed out hidden and twisted history of my country better than any historian of Korea I have ever read. His research was so shocking that Korean Government had opressed all students who insists opinion like cumings' And Korean right wings frequntly attacks intellectuals who insist like cumingsBut this is a good-formated book and is pull with believable reference. His main references are records made by U.S. military in Korea,1945~1948With his book, I could recognize that Korean communist movement was internal powerful movement its' influence was originated from left wing's Anti-Japanese struggle,and by removing that movement in South Korea by force with feudal land owners and pro-Japanese bureaucrats, U.S.A spreaded seed of Civil war.Still, these opinions are threatened by powerful right wing Journalism Like Chosun ilbo (which admires Korean dictator presidents)But I am confident that future historians of Korea will write our history correctly and Cumings' book will always be a necessary reference for them