Michael J. Seth, A Concise History of Korea: From the Neolithic Period through the Nineteenth Century

Michael J. Seth, A Concise History of Korea: From the Neolithic Period through the Nineteenth Century (Lanham, Boulder, New York, Toronto, Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006)

In A Concise History of Korea Michael Seth provides an excellent introduction to Korea’s pre-modern history. He attempts a thorough survey of religion, art, literature, and politics in all the key periods. Early Chinese sources provide most of the material we have on ethnic groups in Korea. Histories of the Three Kingdom period (c. 18 BCE-676) rely heavily on legend and dynastic accounts written later. But by the Silla, from 676 to 935, there are ample sources allowing a full description of daily life, religion and literature. While the chapters on the Unified Silla and Koryo (935-1392) dynasties are fully-fleshed, it is in his treatment of the Chosun (1392-1910) dynasty, to which he devotes four chapters, that Seth shines. 

Seth does an excellent job of situating Korea within the northeast Asian sphere of cultural and commercial ties. Proximity to China has always shaped Korea in every period, leading to a type of “special relationship” between the two cultures that continues today. Korea under the name Choson, figured as early as the Shiji 史記, for instance (17). 

Seth also takes pain to explain Korea’s uniqueness. By the Unified Silla in 676 Korea had become a society with a strong sense of its own identity (49). Linguistically, ethnically and politically Korea would continue to be an extremely homogenous culture. At the same time the cultural orientation was towards China, and Korea made part of a China-centric cultural sphere that absorbed Chinese religion and philosophy, chiefly Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism, as well as literature, music and fashion. Much of the governing principles as well as organization of succeeding dynasties would be modeled on that of China (52). 

While not able to go into depth on religious ideas or concepts, Seth provides an admirable outline of key Buddhist, Neo-Confucian, and Christian individuals in Korean history. He mentions, for instance, Usang (625-702), founder of the Hwaom school, as well as Wonhyo (617-686), founder of the Popsang school. Uich’on (1055-1101) was instrumental in collecting Korea’s first vast collection of the Tripitaka, destroyed by the Mongol invasions of 1231-1232 (88). And Chinul (1158-1210) established the Chogye school and revitalized Buddhism through a unique synthesis of competing schools (104). 

Several typographical errors mar the text. For instance, China was close enough to be make cross cultural exchanges easy…” (9). Insure is used instead of the more common ensure when meaning “to make certain” (53). “…it most likely” is missing the verb (81). On one page met is used instead of meet (212). More serious is the confusing reference to the term mandate of heaven as keming (Ch.)/hyongmyong (K.) on page 122, while it is (correctly) identified as 天命/tianming/chonmyong in a later entry (182). Perhaps the term hyongmyong is valid, but this is not the standard translation for “mandate of heaven.” The issue would have been clarified if the text had added Chinese characters when introducing proper names or concepts; hanja (漢字) was after all a major medium for writing in Korea throughout Korea’s pre-modern history, and could easily have been embraced in the text for clarity.

 

Seth is particularly adept in his discussion of the development of literature. Broad-ranging discussions of the earliest form of vernacular literature, the hyangga poetic form that date from the Silla, to such eclectic writers of the Chosun as Chong Yak-song (Tasan) show the depth of Korea’s literary heritage. He provides short excerpts of key poetry and prose works from each period at the end of each chapter, which is a good way of bringing Korea’s literary treasures to the reader’s attention. Seth also mentions important landmark documents in Korean history, including the Samguk Sagi (1145), a history of the Three Kingdoms, the Samguk Yusa, a history from mythical times through the Silla (1279), and the Koryo sa (1452), the major reference for the history of that dynasty.

A Concise History takes particular note of the status of women in Korean societies. Contrary to its image as a traditional patriarchy, women enjoyed many liberties during certain periods. Women in the Koryo could inherit property and pass it on to descendants, independently of their husbands (92). Widows could remarry, and divorce was practiced. It was only during the extremely neo-confucian Chosun dynasty that the lives of women became increasingly restricted (155).

Korea’s unique and often precarious position at the center of northeast Asia is accurately portrayed, but Michael Seth in this work succeeds in showing an expanded view of Korea as a unique and vibrant culture in its own right.