Reviews
We should not blindly trust one scholar, but it is admirable to have the courage to address an era many find difficult to discuss. It must be hard to assess achievements and mistakes together.
The Fifth Republic has received almost no scholarly study. People say it was a regime that should never have existed, yet its ironic connection to democratization is an undeniable fact. It should be taken more seriously than it is now, because it provides important background for understanding Korean democracy and cannot simply be ignored. I appreciated the author’s analytical perspective and insight beyond partisan lines.
There is considerable value in treating the Fifth Republic’s history from the leadership’s perspective, but I found it uncomfortable that the book glossed over points that plainly needed explanation and seemed subtly inclined to defend Chun Doo-hwan while exaggerating the opposing camp’s actions. Even so, it is hard to deny the study’s significance.
The Fifth Republic: for some, even the words make them shudder. Although the author also has painful memories of that era, they set them aside and wrote this weighty, restrained masterwork.
The publisher’s introduction and book are ridiculous propaganda. Life expectancy has risen; even people born around Liberation are not yet 80, and countless baby boomers like me, who have lived through all kinds of events, are still alive. What kind of memories are they trying to fabricate? Seoul National University, the headquarters of leftists, must be blown up. I keep missing the days of the Fifth Republic.
I had looked forward to this book and had it in my cart since its release was announced; the media had also taken notice. I enjoyed it overall, but two questions remain, about technical matters rather than political views. First, why call this an academic book? It seems closer to an essay by a professor. It presents materials such as member lists and documents resembling cover pages, but only superficially, and the style does not match the content. What new archival discoveries were made? It
A book that calmly unpacks the paradox of democratization brought about by the reactionary system called the Fifth Republic.
Gang Won-taek: The 5th Republic
This book attempts to find the political-historical significance of the Fifth Republic. Much time has passed, but it remains a gray area: many remember it in ‘hazy, murky tones,’ and academically it remains a blind spot without a full assessment. Despite dark memories and negative judgments, society changed during the Fifth Republic. Those changes influenced later eras and still leave traces in our lives. History is not discontinuous. Ignoring or denying the Fifth Republic will not erase the political, economic, and social changes that took place. This book begins from that concern.
Korean title: 제5공화국
Korean author: 강원택
Korean publisher: 역사공간
ISBN-13: 9791157076130
Reviews
We should not blindly trust one scholar, but it is admirable to have the courage to address an era many find difficult to discuss. It must be hard to assess achievements and mistakes together.
The Fifth Republic has received almost no scholarly study. People say it was a regime that should never have existed, yet its ironic connection to democratization is an undeniable fact. It should be taken more seriously than it is now, because it provides important background for understanding Korean democracy and cannot simply be ignored. I appreciated the author’s analytical perspective and insight beyond partisan lines.
There is considerable value in treating the Fifth Republic’s history from the leadership’s perspective, but I found it uncomfortable that the book glossed over points that plainly needed explanation and seemed subtly inclined to defend Chun Doo-hwan while exaggerating the opposing camp’s actions. Even so, it is hard to deny the study’s significance.
The Fifth Republic: for some, even the words make them shudder. Although the author also has painful memories of that era, they set them aside and wrote this weighty, restrained masterwork.
The publisher’s introduction and book are ridiculous propaganda. Life expectancy has risen; even people born around Liberation are not yet 80, and countless baby boomers like me, who have lived through all kinds of events, are still alive. What kind of memories are they trying to fabricate? Seoul National University, the headquarters of leftists, must be blown up. I keep missing the days of the Fifth Republic.
I had looked forward to this book and had it in my cart since its release was announced; the media had also taken notice. I enjoyed it overall, but two questions remain, about technical matters rather than political views. First, why call this an academic book? It seems closer to an essay by a professor. It presents materials such as member lists and documents resembling cover pages, but only superficially, and the style does not match the content. What new archival discoveries were made? It
A book that calmly unpacks the paradox of democratization brought about by the reactionary system called the Fifth Republic.
