Review by Choice Review
The most up-to-date survey of contemporary South Korean politics. Lee offers a superb analysis of South Korea's democratic transition from the gradual breakdown of the Chun's authoritarian regime to the rise of the Sixth Republic and the resultant political realignments. The author gives a fascinating inside account of informal politics of South Korea through personal involvement in politics as well as in-depth interviews with key political leaders. Lee projects a rather pessimistic outlook of democratic changes by arguing that the weak foundation of democratic values; deeprooted personal, factional, and local cleavages; authoritarian institutional inertia; and structural inequalities still pose major barriers to the realization of a stable democracy. A detailed and balanced elucidation of key political leaders, factional politics, elections and campaigns, and ideological polarization in contemporary South Korea. Although the book is journalistic in style, readers can draw rich theoretical conclusions about the dynamics of Korean politics from the volume. An excellent guide to contemporary South Korean politics. Recommended for all libraries maintaining East Asian collections, and as an ideal textbook for graduate and undergraduate courses on Korean politics. -C. Moon, University of Kentucky
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
