Offspring of Empire: The Koch'ang Kims and the Colonial Origins of Korean Capitalism, 1876-1945 (Korean Studies of the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies)

According to conventional interpretations, the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910 destroyed a budding native capitalist economy on the peninsula and blocked the development of a Korean capitalist class until 1945. In this expansive and provocative study, now available in paperback, Carter J. Eckert challenges the standard view and argues that Japanese imperialism, while politically oppressive, was also the catalyst and cradle of modern Korean industrial development. Ancient ties to China were replaced by new ones to Japan - ties that have continued to shape the South Korean political economy down to the present day. Eckert explores a wide range of themes, including the roots of capitalist development in Korea, the origins of the modern business elite, the nature of Japanese colonial policy and the Japanese colonial state, the relationship between the colonial government and the Korean economic elite, and the nature of Korean collaboration. He conveys a clear sense of the human complexity, archival richness, and intellectual challenge of the historical period. His documentation is thorough; his arguments are compelling and often strikingly innovative. Frontmatter Preface (page xi) PART I: THE RISE OF KOREAN CAPITALISM (page 1) 1. Merchants and Landlords: The Accumulation of Capital, 1876-1919 (page 7) 2. An Industrial Bourgeoisie: Transition and Emergence, 1919-45 (page 27) PART II: THE PATTERNS OF GROWTH (page 65) 3. Class and State: The Financial Nexus (page 69) 4. Class and State: Partners in Management (page 103) 5. Between Metropole and Hinterland: The Acquisition of Raw Materials and Technology (page 127) 6. Between Metropole and Hinterland: The Quest for Markets (page 154) PART III: CLASS AND SOCIETY (page 188) 7. "Without Any Trouble": Capitalist Views and Treatment of the Working Class (page 191) 8. Class Over Nation: Naisen Ittai and the Korean Bourgeoisie (page 224) Conclusion: The Colonial Legacy (page 253) Appendix 1. Protectorate and Colonial Administrations, 1905-45 (page 260) Appendix 2. "Dying for a Righteous Cause: The Responsibility of Imperial Citizens Is Great" (page 262) Notes (page 265) Guide to Romanization (page 339) Bibliography (page 349) Index (page 371) Annotation According to conventional interpretations, the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910 destroyed a budding native capitalist economy on the peninsula and blocked the development of a Korean capitalist class until 1945. Eckert (Korean history, Harvard U.) challenges the standard view and argues that Japanese imperialism, while politically oppressive, was also the catalyst and cradle of modern Korean industrial development. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR. Carter J. Eckert. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.