Korean Thought and Culture

Book excerpt: During its five thousand years of history and culture, Korea has been attacked and invaded by other countries eight hundred times. Despite all its past tragedies, Korea has risen from the ashes and become one of the ten strongest economic countries in the world-all because its people have kept their thoughts, culture, and roots alive. In Korean Thought and Culture: A New Introduction, Dr. Chai-Shin Yu shares the results of his extensive research. He offers careful interpretation of historical facts and in-depth exploration of past events, while determining whether Old-Korean thought culture has always existed independently or arose initially through the sole influence of China. A seasoned lecturer on Korean culture and thought, Dr. Yu relies on his professional experience to provide a comprehensive study of Korean and East Asian thought and culture, the influence of Korea on Japanese culture, Korean philosophers, and other Asian and Christian thoughts and cultures. One hundred years since the Japanese invasion and sixty years after the attack of North Korea, Korean Thought and Culture: A New Introduction offers a new perspective on long-held beliefs and challenges anyone to take a new look at Korean thought and the history and culture of this fascinating country.