#1 in history for two consecutive years in 2023 and 2024!
"Minimum Korean History," chosen by 200,000 readers, now available in the "Gwangbok Edition."

Choi Tae-seong, a representative history lecturer in Korea
A liberal arts Korean history class that explores our moving history.

"Minimum Korean History," which has instilled confidence in Korean history in countless readers, is being published as a special edition commemorating the 80th anniversary of liberation, with 200,000 copies sold.
This limited edition of the Gwangbok Edition features a cover featuring the work of artist Kim Nu-ri, who creates modern versions of folk paintings using traditional coloring and lithography.
The cover artwork depicts the Rose of Sharon, the national flower, and the tiger, the guardian deity that wards off evil spirits, against the backdrop of our beautiful mountains and rivers, expressing the joy of liberation and hope for a new era.


Author Choi Tae-seong, while publishing the Gwangbok Edition, said this about the meaning of liberation and the reason for learning its history.
“Liberation means ‘finding light again.’
On August 29, 1910, the Republic of Korea lost its sovereignty and lost its light, but on August 15, 1945, it regained its light.
Many people who lived during the 35 years of Japanese colonial rule dreamed that those who came after them would not have to live as colonial subjects.
I gave up my fortune and my life for that dream.
History reminds us that we, today, have been loved by so many people.
“On the 80th anniversary of liberation, it is now time for us to remember them.”

"Minimum Korean History," which contains the minimum knowledge required to properly understand our history, has maintained its position as a bestseller for 104 consecutive weeks since its publication in 2023 and has solidified its position as the best introductory book to Korean history, having been selected as Yes24's Book of the Year and a National Library Librarian Recommended Book.
This book is the perfect choice for anyone who wants to properly study our history on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of liberation, anyone who wants to find heart-warming inspiration in history, or anyone who is curious about the correct history amidst the endless historical debate.
Let's recharge our confidence in Korean history with the "Minimum Korean History" "Gwangbok Edition," which offers both a visual and reading experience with its sensuous cover.

King Muryeong brought order back to the country, which was on the verge of collapse.
It held up without collapsing easily.
I think that's the power of culture.
If Goguryeo was a military powerhouse, Baekje was a cultural powerhouse.
In the Samguk Sagi, there is a saying, “Frugal does not make you shabby, luxurious does not make you luxurious.”
This is the principle applied when designing Baekje's first capital, Hanseong.
This is a phrase I really like, which translates to 'simple but not shabby, flashy but not extravagant.'
How cool is that? That's how I describe luxury.
This is what true luxury is all about.
---From "Baekje: A Splendid but Not Extravagant Cultural Powerhouse"

It's really amazing.
Who would have thought that Silla would unite the three kingdoms of the Three Kingdoms period? Yet, the smallest kingdom, Silla, achieved its dream of unification.
Wang Geon was also not a protagonist of the Later Three Kingdoms period.
He was a subordinate under Gung Ye.
In a way, it seems that an unexpected person unified the Later Three Kingdoms.
Those who are ahead should always be wary of complacency, and those who are behind should not give up and steadily pursue their own path.
Isn't the history of the Later Three Kingdoms period teaching us this lesson?
---From "Unified Silla: A Unified State of the Korean Peninsula that Flourished a Brilliant Culture"

Gwangjong did not reveal his presence for seven years after taking power.
I just read the book.
It is said that he always kept by his side 『Zhenguan Zhengyo』, a compilation of political dialogues between Emperor Taizong of Tang and his subjects, and read it.
Since the king was only reading books and not implementing any specific policies, his subjects must have thought, 'Isn't he too incompetent?'
However, the 『Jeonggwanjeongyo』 that Gwangjong read was not an ordinary book.
It was a political guidebook that allowed one to study the science of kingship, which included things like the way of a monarch and how to appoint talented people.
After seven years, Gwangjong finally pulled out his first reform card.
This is the slave inspection method.
It is a method of searching and examining slaves in detail to find those who were unjustly enslaved and free them.
Who had the largest number of slaves? It was the aristocrats.
However, if those who were illegally enslaved are returned to the status of commoners, the private property of the powerful families will decrease.
The military power that can be mobilized at will is also weakened.
This is exactly what Gwangjong was after.

---From "The Founding of Goryeo: Opening the Middle Ages of Korean History"

Jeong Do-jeon was a man who was full of the will to establish a Confucian nation.
So, the names of the four gates also include ‘Inuiyeji’, which is considered the most important in Confucianism.
The east gate was named Heunginjimun with the character 'in', the west gate was named Donuimun with the character 'ui', and the south gate was named Sungnyemun with the character 'ye'.
The only exception is the North, where the character for 'clear' (청) was used instead of 'ji' (지), as wisdom is not something to be shown outwardly.
So, the name was changed to Sukjeongmun, which means ‘comfortable’.
So where did the "God"—a concept also emphasized in Confucianism—come in? This was created after Jeong Do-jeon.
This is Bosingak, the place where the New Year's Eve bell is rung every time the year changes.
Bosin Pavilion is located in the middle of the four gates.
---From "The Founding of Joseon: Dreaming of a Confucian State Based on Neo-Confucianism"

The Gapsin Coup occurred at the opening banquet of the Korea Post Office, the first post office in Korea.
Radical reformists, including Kim Ok-gyun, set fire to the nearby banquet hall, throwing it into chaos, and then attacked Empress Myeongseong's nephew, Min Yeong-ik.
Then, he went to Changdeokgung Palace and lied that the Qing had started a rebellion, and took Gojong and Empress Myeongseong to Gyeongungung Palace.
Those who captured the king established the Reform Party government and announced a reform platform.
One of the core contents of the reform platform was the abolition of the caste system.
It's truly amazing.
Those at the very top of the class system gave up their vested interests and proposed a new world.
It's heartwarming to think that the young generation of a century ago dreamed of a better future.
It is a very valuable scene in our country's modern history.
---From "The Opening of Joseon: The Demands for Port Opening by the Great Powers and the Internal Chaos of Joseon"

The Chun Doo-hwan government had weak legitimacy because it came to power through a coup and the suppression of the May 18 Democratization Movement.
Unlike the Yushin regime, it implemented conciliatory policies such as lifting curfews and liberalizing overseas travel, but its legitimacy was shaken every spring.
Every May, citizens would protest, saying they would carry on the spirit of the May 18th Democratization Movement.
In this situation, a major incident occurred in January 1987.
This is the Park Jong-cheol torture death case.
A student named Park Jong-cheol, who participated in the protest, died during police torture.
But the police kept telling lies.
This is where the saying, “I hit the table with a thud and it died with a thud” comes from.
Students and citizens rose up again in protest against the police's absurd lies.
What they demanded was a direct presidential election system.
However, the Chun Doo-hwan government announced the April 13 Constitutional Amendment Measures on April 13, 1987.
It's about protecting the Constitution.
It meant that they would implement the 7-year single-term presidential indirect election system they had created.
It was like pouring oil on fire.

---From "Political History of the 1980s: The Rise of the New Military Regime and the Struggle for Democracy"