Preface to the revised and expanded 3rd edition.
Re-examining a decisive moment in modern history
Recommendation.
The Best Introduction to Modern History for Citizens
Preface to the first edition.
I hope this will be an opportunity to learn about history correctly.
Preface to the revised and expanded 2nd edition.
Why modern history now?

1.
For the construction of a unified nation (1945-1948)
101.
Welcoming the liberation that came like a dream
102.
Deepening left-right confrontation and conflict
103.
In the midst of the whirlwind of anti-trusteeship
104.
Promote left-right cooperation
105.
The long and arduous road to inter-Korean negotiations
106.
Efforts to build a new world

[history+]
ㆍ The expressions of pro-Japanese cultural figures welcoming liberation - Chae Man-sik and Lee Gwang-su
ㆍ The first public opinion poll immediately after liberation - Who will lead us again?
The US-Soviet Joint Commission and the Establishment of the Provisional Government: The Hidden Conflict Between the US and the Soviet Union Amidst the Maelstrom of Anti-Trusteeship
Kim Kyu-sik, a leader of the right wing—"Put him on a tree and don't shake him."
Opposition to the single-line system and Kim Gu: "I'd rather fall than cross the 38th parallel."
The Sorrow of an Artist Who Deferred to North Korea: The Forgotten Genius Composer Kim Soon-nam

2.
The establishment of a divided government and the devastation of war (1948–1959)
201.
The Birth of a Democratic Constitution
202.
Kim Gu is assassinated
203.
The Korean War: A Tragedy of the Nation
204.
Even in the midst of war, there was a struggle for power.
205.
Jo Bong-am, a politician who faced backlash

[history+]
The Birth of the Republic of Korea - Liberation Day or National Foundation Day?
The May 30 election demonstrated voter awareness: a confrontation between forces for unification and forces for division.
The Korean War and the Peace Movement: Choi Neung-jin, a peace activist in the brutal battlefield
ㆍ History of Constitutional Amendment - The Suffering History of the Constitution
Syngman Rhee vs. Cho Bong-am - Theory of Unification through Northern Expedition and Theory of Peaceful Unification

3.
The emergence of a new society (1945–1959)
301.
The emergence of a large number of Hangul generations
302.
Building an economy on ruins
303.
Changing Women
304.
Workers are starving, union officials are wearing Macau suits.
305.
Humanism Blossomed in War

[history+]
ㆍ National University Dispute - Opposition to the Establishment of a National University
The Truth Behind American Aid: Aid Isn't Free
ㆍ The era of nylon is here - a new trend, a new fashion
The Rise of Political Gangsters - The Golden Age of Fists
ㆍ The world of independence activists and pro-Japanese collaborators - They say that if you participate in the independence movement, three generations of your family will be ruined...
A Culture of Frustration and Decadence - Guitarist's "Exciting Despair"

4.
Aspirations for Democracy (1960–1961)
401.
From 'Bloody Tuesday' to 'Victory Tuesday'
402.
Heo Jeong's interim government and the cabinet system constitutional amendment
403.
The Jang Myun regime, which prioritized economics
404.
Let's go north, come south

[history+]
The Heroes of the April Revolution: "Let's Break Up with the Rotten Yesterday"
Unjust deaths of politicians and mass murders—Uncovering the truth behind the allegations
ㆍ Evaluation of the Jang Myon Cabinet - Was the April Revolution a Time of Chaos?
Genealogy of Innovative Forces: The Birth of Various Political Forces

5.
18 Years of Modernization and Information and Iron-Fisted Politics (1961–1979)
501.
Soldiers' World
502.
Civil administration transfer and Korea-Japan talks
503.
Towards permanent rule
504.
The emergence of a super-dictatorship and the resistance of democratic forces
505.
The Yushin dictatorship collapsed under gunfire

[history+]
The Birth of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces - Where Do Their Roots Lie?
The Secret Behind the Korea-Japan Talks: "The Dokdo Secret Agreement is a Ghost Document, Invalid from the Start."
The Kim Dae-jung and Kim Young-sam Era Begins - The Conservative Opposition's Theory of Generational Change and the 40-Year-Old Generation
ㆍ National Security Law and Daily Life - Makgeolli Anti-Communist Law, Makgeolli Security Law
ㆍKim Dae-jung Kidnapping Incident - Eliminate Your Biggest Political Opponent!
Park Chung-hee's ruling style—the pinnacle of information and operational politics

6.
The Light and Darkness of Economic Development (1960–1979)
601.
From agricultural society to industrial society
602.
Shaken growth-first policy
603.
Extreme anti-communist and nationalist education
604.
A mass society without popular culture

[history+]
ㆍ Construction of the Gyeongbu Expressway, which led to regional imbalances in development - 'The largest civil engineering project since Dangun'
Jeon Tae-il, who struck the conscience of university students and intellectuals: "Follow the Labor Standards Act."
ㆍ Kim Ji-ha and "Five Bandits" - A Brush Mightier Than the Sword
ㆍ The Yushin Regime's Massacre of Popular Music - Youth Culture Stung by Frost Before It Could Even Escape

7.
For Democracy, For Unification (1979~)
701.
A New Milestone in Modern History: The Gwangju Uprising
702.
Clash between the new military and pro-democracy forces
703.
The Great Victory of Democracy: The June Struggle
704.
Advancing democracy
705.
Towards peace and unification of the Korean Peninsula

[history+]
ㆍ Gwangju in May - Gwangju as experienced by a special forces soldier
Press Guidelines - The Military Regime's Media Taming
Samcheong Education Corps - Human Rights Trampled by Military Boots
The Gwangju Hearing Star Emerges - The Gwangju and Fifth Republic Corruption Special Committee Ushered in the Era of Hearings
The Future of the Korean Peninsula in the 21st Century: Inter-Korean Relations Intersected by Cooperation and Tension

In closing.
Dynamic participation that opens the future
Search

"The most sought-after book whenever historical issues arise."
The most objective and reliable introductory book on modern history written by the leading authority on modern history research.
"Modern Korean History in Pictures and Illustrations" has been revised and expanded for the third time in seven years!

The first edition was published in 2005, and the second edition was revised and expanded in 2013. It has been widely loved by readers for suggesting the right direction for reading history, and now, after seven years, the third revised and expanded edition of "Modern Korean History Through Pictures and Illustrations" is being released.
Since its publication, this book has been recognized as the most objective and reliable introductory book on modern history and has established itself as a must-read for college freshmen.
This was also the book most sought after during the 2012 presidential election when controversy arose over a candidate's past actions that had a significant impact on his political awareness and political judgment.
With the passage of the amendment to the "Basic Act on the Settlement of Past Events for Truth and Reconciliation" (the Past Events Act) in the 21st National Assembly, the path is opening to uncovering the truth behind suspicious incidents that have been buried for the past 70 years, and interest in modern history is growing again.
This is why the publication of this revised and expanded third edition of this book, which depicts the twists and turns of modern history with greater accuracy and detail based on newly discovered sources and research, is so welcome.

The author of this book, Professor Emeritus Seo Jung-seok of Sungkyunkwan University, is the first recipient of a doctorate in modern Korean history and has dedicated himself to the study of modern history for over 30 years, achieving remarkable results.
The author, who has passionately studied modern Korean history, which is fraught with taboos, with a clear perspective, is also a living witness to modern history, having suffered imprisonment for the 1974 Democratic Youth and Student League Incident.
This book is the culmination of the research achievements of the leading authority in the field of modern Korean history, and is the most reliable introductory book on modern history ever published.
We corrected the historical distortions caused by ideology and maintained an accurate and objective narrative that was not biased towards either side.
We strived to create a "Korean Modern History for Citizens" that is easy for anyone to read, while still being based on verified sources and research.
In addition, it focuses on political history, but also covers various fields such as economy, society, education, culture, art, and women, helping to provide a comprehensive understanding of modern history.
When describing the turbulent modern history of the past, including rampant dictatorships and human rights violations, it is easy to make the mistake of viewing modern history only negatively. However, this book is significant in that it emphasizes the dynamism that developed Korean society after liberation and does not overlook the ceaseless efforts toward a society where freedom, democracy, reason, and conscience are alive and breathing.

This book, designed to provide a rich understanding of the diverse trajectory of life our society has taken since liberation to the present day, will satisfy the heightened interest in modern history and foster a sound historical awareness in readers, providing an opportunity to reflect on and seriously reflect on modern history as mature citizens.

“Modern history must be illuminated by the ever-increasing light of the present.”
The April 19 Revolution, the Yushin regime, the Gwangju Uprising, the June Struggle…
Newly discovered facts shed new light on a major chapter in modern history.

The revised and expanded second edition, published in 2013, addressed key issues in modern history that must be addressed, including Syngman Rhee's movement for a separate government, the National Foundation Day controversy, the issue of pro-Japanese collaborators, and the birth and tribulations of the Constitution.
While the revised and expanded second edition branched out focusing on each issue, this revised and expanded third edition focuses on supplementing the descriptions of major events that form the main line of modern history.
In the process of completing the 20 volumes of "Seo Jung-seok's Stories of Modern History," which cover the history from the liberation period to the June 15th Inter-Korean Summit over the past seven years, the author's access to new materials and advancement of modern history research also played a major role.

In the third revised and expanded edition, the contents regarding the April Revolution, the transfer of power from the Park Chung-hee military regime to civilian rule, the heavy industry-centered economic policy and the early collapse of the Yushin regime, the Gwangju Uprising, and the June Struggle were significantly revised.
The author points out the irony that the Yushin regime, which had sought to solidify its legitimacy by achieving rapid economic growth through heavy chemical industrialization, ended up collapsing due to excessive investment in heavy industry, and corrects the deep-rooted prejudice that economic growth was solely the work of Park Chung-hee.
In order to properly understand the Gwangju Uprising, the overall content was revised, focusing on the 'second stage coup' of the December 12 coup and the May 17 coup by Chun Doo-hwan and the new military regime.
Taking into account the publication of the memoirs of Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, the background of the June Struggle and the June 29 Declaration was described differently than before, and the introduction of the single-member district system, which solidified regionalism in the April 26, 1988 general election, was examined.
It vividly reveals aspects of past history that were previously undiscovered due to a lack of materials, such as the impact of flour spraying on the 1963 presidential election, the April 29 Special Address that reveals the reality of the Yushin regime's extreme anti-communist movement, and a new examination of the Busan-Masan Uprising and October 26 Incident.


Includes over 500 different visual materials, including photos, maps, diagrams, and infographics.
36 separate corners for a deeper understanding of history [History+]…
The true face of modern history, vividly read as if watching a documentary.

This book has a separate section called [History+] at the end of each chapter, providing a variety of reading material related to the issues of each era.
The colorful images contained in the 36 separate corners add to the fun of reading modern history.
By focusing on figures such as Kim Kyu-sik and Syngman Rhee, Syngman Rhee and Cho Bong-am, Choi Neung-jin, a peace activist on the battlefield, political gangsters Kim Du-han and Lee Jeong-jae, and Jeon Tae-il, who struck the conscience of university students and intellectuals, you can get a glimpse into modern history through their anecdotes and hidden stories. In addition, it focuses on the May 30, 1950 election that showed voter awareness, comparative analysis of the founding ideology and the April Revolution ideology, and organizes various suspicious incidents such as the unjust deaths of politicians and mass murders.
Additionally, the background and circumstances of major events, such as the Makgeolli Security Act, the kidnapping of Kim Dae-jung, the Dokdo secret agreement, the Gwangju and Fifth Republic corruption hearings, and the inter-Korean relations that were a mixture of cooperation and tension, were explained, allowing for a deeper understanding of history.

As the title suggests, 『Modern Korean History in Photographs and Drawings』 contains a much higher proportion of image materials such as photographs and drawings compared to other history books.
Over 500 photographs of modern history provided by various organizations, media outlets, and photographers allow you to experience the vividness of historical sites.
It contains not only well-known photos but also important but difficult-to-access photos, allowing readers to quickly understand the flow of modern history through photos alone.
In particular, in this revised and expanded third edition, we paid even more attention to historical verification, such as replacing images of the article on the opening of the National People's Congress immediately after liberation (page 40) and the proclamation distributed in the name of Lieutenant General Hodge (page 50).


Vivid visual aids such as maps, diagrams, and infographics placed throughout enhance the accuracy of the content and help create a more realistic and in-depth understanding.
We have tried to convey the most objective and reliable information possible by excluding materials with unclear sources or lacking credibility.
Additionally, rare materials that were difficult to find in existing history books, such as newspaper articles, slogans, posters, cartoons, diaries, and journals, were included to stimulate readers' interest and make reading more enjoyable.