Description
Kim's pride in his country's progress and his love for its
traditions are evident on every page of this book. In words and pictures he takes the reader from country to city, pausing now and again at a steel mill, a monastery, a park, or a funeral. While providing a wealth of information on history and customs, Kim never forgets the people who are the real Korea-the artisans, businessmen, farmers, workers, wives, and children. His portraits of them are honest, with a richness that can only have come from his intimate knowledge of their lives and hopes. Much of what is new in Korea grew out of the devastating tragedy of the Korean War and the search for a new national identity that followed. And more change is in store, for there is still the hope for unification. But no matter what the future holds, there will always be a national character, a philosophy of life, that is uniquely Korean. It is this essence of Korea that H. Edward Kim celebrates here.
