North Korea/South Korea: U.S. Policy at a Time of Crisis (Open Media Books) [Paperback]

John Feffer (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 20, 2003 | Series: Open Media Books

The Korean peninsula, divided for more than fifty years, is stuck in a time warp. Millions of troops face one another along the Demilitarized Zone separating communist North Korea and capitalist South Korea. In the early 1990s and again in 2002-2003, the United States and its allies have gone to the brink of war with North Korea. Misinterpretations and misunderstandings are fueling the crisis. "There is no country of comparable significance concerning which so many people are ignorant," American anthropologist Cornelius Osgood said of Korea some time ago. This ignorance may soon have fatal consequences.
North Korea, South Korea is a short, accessible book about the history and political complexites of the Korean peninsula, one that explores practical alternatives to the current US policy: alternatives that build on the remarkable and historic path of reconciliation that North and South embarked on in the 1990s and that point the way to eventual reunification.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

JOHN FEFFER'S books include Beyond Detente: Soviet Foreign Policy and U.S. Options, Shock Waves: Eastern Europe After the Revolutions, Living in Hope: Communities Respond to Globalization, and Power Trip: U.S. Unilateralism and Global Strategy after September 11. From 1998 to 2001, Feffer lived in Tokyo and traveled throughout East Asia, making more than twenty trips to South Korea and three trips to North Korea. He lives in the Washington, D.C., area.

Product Details

• Paperback: 199 pages
• Publisher: Seven Stories Press (September 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583226036
• ISBN-13: 978-1583226032
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.5 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,152,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Feffer is the co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies and, beginning in September 2012, an Open Society Fellow.

He is the author of several books and numerous articles. His work has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, The American Prospect, Salon, The Progressive, The Christian Science Monitor, the Boston Globe, and many other publications. He has been a Writing Fellow at Provisions Library in Washington, DC and a PanTech fellow in Korean Studies at Stanford University. He is a former associate editor of World Policy Journal. He has worked as an international affairs representative in Eastern Europe and East Asia for the American Friends Service Committee.

He has studied in England and Russia, lived in Poland and Japan, and traveled widely throughout Europe and Asia.

He is a recipient of the Herbert W. Scoville fellowship and has been a writer in residence at Blue Mountain Center and the Wurlitzer Foundation.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read, but obviously opinionated July 26, 2005

By M. Scott

Format:Paperback

Feffer gives an historical account of Korea and tires to show how much the US played a part in its history. It goes up through the dissolution of the agreed framework and attempts to explain Bush Sr., Clinton and Bush Jr's administration policies. Feffer does a reasonable job but constantly offers very opinionated views against the Bush administration that aren't very well thought out. I found the book interesting and informative and enjoyed reading it but my mind wouldn't allow me to believe everything he said because of the obvious agenda to discredit the current administration. The author does show that the North Korea's leader Kim Jong Il's isn't completely crazy and that there may be a small amount of logic to his leadership. Understanding DPRK's history gave me a more understanding view of their desperate situation of trying to survive in a world that has completely changed since the beginning of their State.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book on North/South Korea-US Relations March 11, 2004

By Anthony Smith

Format:Paperback

I enjoyed this book very much. It covers a wide variety of issues concerning U.S.-North Korea-South Korea relations. North Korea is a country we as Americans know so little about. This is a great introductory book to the U.S. policies towards North Korea and why even the U.S. Government's ally, South Korea doesn't agree with their policies. A definite must-read for anyone interested in International Affairs.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Very Biased View of the Situation December 1, 2007

By Neil Wilson

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

While the book has some interesting facts, it is very biased. The author, John Feffer, seems to be very pro-North Korea and anti-American. Which then brings into doubt the validity of the few "interesting facts" that he provides...
The USA is not 100% fault free in it's dealings with North Korea, but the scope of this work is OBVIOUSLY one-sided.

Also, not all of the authors facts are correct, as when he says that the UN does not recognize the North Korean refugees entering China to be "political refugees"...page 163 "...not considered refugees by the United Nations..."
But there are many articles that state the TRUE position of the United Nations, one is listed below:
Asia Times, "The tortuous North Korean refugee triangle" dated 22 Sept 2004 says..."Beijing is concerned that any actions it takes to assist the fleeing North Koreans, such as establishing refugee camps or providing formal UN designation as "political refugees", would provoke a torrent of additional refugees, offend its North Korean ally, and perhaps undermine the stability of the Pyongyang regime."

He even accuses the USA for being the cause of North Korea's illegal activities such as drug trafficking, counterfeiting and trafficking in women.

You will love this book if...
1) You hate G.W. Bush
2) You think North Korea is a country only trying to do good and get along with others, but the USA is "keeping them down"

The book is good if you want to see "other people's view points" and hear "their side" of the story, but if you want JUST facts without someone's biased opinions, try a different book.