https://archive.org/details/eyeonkoreainside0000youn
Eye on Korea: An Insider Account of Korean-American Relations: 88 Hardcover – 31 July 2003
by James V. Young (Author), William W. Stueck (Introduction, Editor)
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Part of: Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series (98 books)
Col. James V. Young spent almost twenty years in Asia, including fourteen in Korea Here, he writes with the expertise of an old Korea hand about a period that saw South Korea develop from an agrarian economy to a modern industrial state. Young volunteered in 1969 for a new program aimed at creating area specialists within the military. In 1975, after four years of training in Korean language and culture, he witnessed how American diplomats convinced Park Chung-Hee, the South Korean president, not to develop his own nuclear weapons. Later, from the perspective of a military attache Young saw the mistrust that characterized U.S.-Korean relations during the 1970s. He provides new insights into the behind-the-scones efforts to derail President Jimmy Carter's troop withdrawal policies and argues that the United States was caught flat-footed by such crucial episodes as the coup of 1979 and the 12/12 Incident. Young's memoir straddles the line between military and diplomatic history and offers entertaining and often humorous stories. Those interested in the region, the issues, and military life off the battlefield will value this book.
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About the Author
James V. Young is currently president of Pacific Associates, a consulting firm based in Pinehurst, North Carolina. William Stueck, who lives in Athens, Georgia, is author of The Korean War: An International History.
Product details
Publisher : Texas A&M University Press; 1st edition (31 July 2003)
Language : English
Hardcover : 187 pages
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J.C. Mach
5.0 out of 5 stars Great overview of Korea from the 60s to the 90sReviewed in the United States on 21 January 2021
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Jim Young provides a missing point in most Korea books - the midlevel worker-bee's perspective, but a worker bee who can influence policymakers in DC from the attache billets he held with significance. Everything he notes in this book is a fantastic framing for US policy and presence in Korea today, as well as the foundation of the ROK's political structure. His policy discussions on how the US handled events at the time are second to none with descriptive details about embassy and USFK actions based on DC policies - great study in Korean affairs and US Government bureaucracies.
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MVS
5.0 out of 5 stars Readable Modern HistoryReviewed in the United States on 7 August 2003
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Eye on Korea is a tremendous contribution to modern Korean history. It is a very easy and entertaining read. It will appeal to those who know nothing about Korea, and to those of us who have lived or travelled there extensively. There is little to no jargon, things that would not be familiar to the average reader are explained quickly and clearly.
I have spent the better part of my adult life in Korea or working with Koreans. I was surprised and delighted by the things I learned by Eye on Korea. It filled many gaps in my understanding of how things went down in the late 70's and 80's. It was full of names, places and events that I recognized, but had never before had a coherent picture of how they all related. Eye on Korea provides that coherence.
If I am forced to complain about anything, it would be the brevity. I would have enjoyed a couple hundred more pages. It's evident from what Col. Young tells us--and from what he doesn't tell us--that he knows enough to fill volume upon volume.
This is a MUST BUY for anyone interested in Modern Korea or Korean-US relations.
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Gordon Cucullu
5.0 out of 5 stars The Keen Eye of ExperienceReviewed in the United States on 7 August 2003
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Colonel Jim Young has developed a keen analytical eye for things Korean developed over a multi-decade career of study, friendship and focus on this fascinating but enigmatic country. Young uses the vehicle of autobiography to detail some of the high points in the modern developmental history of South Korea and along the way opens the curtain to an insider's view of US governmental machinations. The Colonel had an uncanny way of being involved over many years with key events in US-Korean relations such as threatened troop withdrawals under President Carter, assassination of President Park, the death of dictator Kim Il-sung in North Korea, the murder of US Army officers and many, many other events. Final chapters discuss nuclear North Korea and the complexity of the tense situation there.
This book offers the reader a fresh insight to events and analysis not seen elsewhere. It is written for a non-technical audience but is valuable for the cognoscenti as well. I recommend 'Eye on Korea' most enthusiastically to every concerned person who wonders what the future holds for America in the vital but tumultuous environment of the Korean Peninsula.
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John M Barr
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for military and civilian personnel interested in ...Reviewed in the United States on 6 July 2014
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A must read for military and civilian personnel interested in Korea. As a former army intelligence officer, who served in Korea, I found Colonel Young's insider views on historical events in which he participated very interesting.
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happius
5.0 out of 5 stars Five StarsReviewed in the United States on 30 March 2016
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Great book !
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