The New Koreans

‘Breen is at his best in his anecdotes…[he] tells you all the interesting things about the Korea of today’ * Financial Times *
As good a guide to a fascinating country in transformation as you will get. * Management Today *
A broad and deep exposition of South Korean history, politics, economy and society that will have even the oldest Korea hands going “I never knew that”.’ * DANIEL TUDOR, author of Korea: The Impossible Country *
Not only is The New Koreans magnificent in its sweep and depth; as a bonus, it’s…fun to read * BRADLEY K. MARTIN, author of Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader *
[An] informative, deep introduction to this fascinating (and not well-known) country and, in addition, an engaging read. * ANDREI LANKOV, author of The Dawn of Modern Korea *
Affectionate, critical, full of anecdotes, this is a constantly astonishing and highly readable exploration of Korea’s identity. * HAMISH McDONALD, former Asia-Pacific Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald *
In an age where everyone is sharply critical of everyone else, The New Koreans is a delightful change of pace, pungent observations of Koreans as they see themselves and as outsiders see them, part history, part story telling, all pieces of a beautiful, frustrating, endearing puzzle fit together in a superb way as only a keen, veteran observer as Michael Breen can do. * JAMES CHURCH, author of A Corpse in the Koryo *
Michael Breen’s excellent “The New Koreans,” an economic, political and social history, shows how South Korea went “from basket case to emerging market” in a period of 40 years. In the process of telling that story, Mr Breen, a British-born journalist who lives in Seoul, explodes many of the excuses frequently used by economists and historians to rationalize the country’s underperformance. * Wall Street Journal *

Michael Breen is a writer and consultant who first went to Korea as a correspondent in 1982. He covered North and South Korea for several newspapers, including the Guardian, The Times and the Washington Times. He lives in Seoul.

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