Shrimp to Whale South Korea from the Forgotten War to K-Pop
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Biographical note
Ramon Pacheco Pardo is Professor of International Relations at King's College London, and KF-VUB Korea Chair at the Brussels School of Governance. He is also a non-resident adjunct fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Ramon has lived twice in South Korea, and remains a regular visitor there for both work and leisure. He regularly teaches and provides media commentary about the country.<p>‘[<em>Shrimp to Whale</em>] captures South Korea’s triumphant postwar ascent from abject poverty and trauma.’</p>
- The Guardian,
Charts the incredible rise of South Korea, from colonisation and civil war to today’s thriving nation.
South Korea has a remarkable history. Born from the ashes of imperial domination, partition and a devastating war, back in the 1950s there were real doubts about its survival as an independent state. Yet South Korea endures: today it is a boisterous democracy, a vibrant market economy, a tech powerhouse, and home to the coolest of cultures. In just seventy years, this society has grown from a shrimp into a whale.
What explains this extraordinary transformation? For some, it was individual South Koreans who fought to change their country, and still strive to shape it. For others, it was forward-looking political and business leaders with a vision. Either way, it’s clear that this is the story of a people who dreamt big, and whose dreams came true.
Shrimp to Whale is a lively history of South Korea, from its millennia-old roots, through the division of the Peninsula, dictatorship and economic growth, to today’s global powerhouse.