Book Description

A comparative study of the political systems of North and South Korea under the sponsorship of different foreign powers, through the efforts of different leadership groups, from the moment of collapse of the Japanese colonial regime in 1945 to 1972. In comparing the developments in the two Koreas, the author is especially concerned with the role played by political leaders, the contrasting uses of political tools, the relative influence played by various factors both within and without the society, and the contrasting processes of consolidation of power by the newly established political elites and the institutionalization of two distinct systems.