South Korea at the Crossroads: Autonomy and Alliance in an Era of Rival Powers

Scholars of area studies always face a certain dilemma. To know a country and its people, we must understand how they feel and why they feel that way. This means we must sometimes rejoice and grieve with them. However, it does not mean that we should share all their emotions, because that would make it difficult for us to observe the people and their behaviors objectively. This dilemma deepens when we study the relationship of our focus country with our own country. Most area specialists understand the countries they study and hope that their focus countries can maintain good relationships with their own nations. Therefore, when they have the opportunity to communicate with policymakers, the media, or the public, area specialists tend to emphasize the importance of good relations between the nations they study and those where they live. In addition, specialists with the power to influence policy or the...