Korea : the impossible country / Daniel Tudor.

Originally published: 2012.

Includes index.

A brief history of Korea -- Shamanism and the spirit world -- Buddhism -- Confucianism -- Christianity -- Capitalism with a Korean face -- Democracy : beyond Asian values -- Jeong--the "invisible hug" -- Competition -- Chemyon, or face -- Han and Heung : the deep sadness and pure joy in the Korean mind -- From clan to nuclear family -- Neophilia -- North Korea : friend, foe, or foreigner? -- Politics and the media -- Onward, industrial soldiers -- "More important than the business itself" -- Indroducing Mr. and Mrs. Perfect -- English mania -- Living space : from Hanok to apartment houses and back again -- Four seasons at the dinner table -- Cinema : boom, bust, and brilliance -- More thank K-Pop -- Work all day, stay out all night -- Defensive nationalism -- Multicultural Korea? -- "It's our turn" -- "We are not aliens from another cosmos" -- A woman's place is in the office -- Epilogue : Where is the champagne? -- Epilogue to the 2018 edition.

South Korea's amazing transformation into an economic powerhouse and a thriving democracy within a generation now serves as a model for many other developing nations. How were Korean's able to achieve their "Asian miracle" despite half a century of colonial rule, a ruinous war, and no earlier democratic tradition? And having accomplished it, what comes next? Will Korea become a rich but aging society, stagnant and lacking momentum? Or will the dynamism of Korean society--and the opportunity to welcome outsiders--enable it to experience another miracle to propel it into the ranks of the leading countries of the world in terms of human development and wealth? Daniel Tudor is a journalist who has lived in Korea for a decade, and seeks the answers to these questions in interviews with scores of high-powered Korean business leaders, politicians, religious leaders, sports legends, poets, rock stars and academics. In this fascinating and uncoventional book he examines Korea's cultural foundations ; the Korean family character ; the public sphere in politics, business, the workplace ; the Korean family and how Koreans unwind including food, music, and cinema ; and social issues crucial to Korea's future--including their interactions with outsiders. In doing so, he touches on topics as diverse as shamanism, clan-ism, the dilemma posed by North Korea (brother or enemy?), myths about doing business in Korea, and why the country's infatuation with learning English is causing huge social problems. This new edition has been updated with additional materials on recent events including the Park impeachment and the Sewol ferry incident.