Voice from the North

"Sun Joo Kim's fine new book opens a window on a subject rarely treated in English: regional discrimination against northerners in Korea during the Chosŏn period, and the acute consciousness that historians in North Korea have about it today. Kim adds so much to our understanding of the distinctly Korean and regional heritage that rests at the foundation of this regime. She also teases out the 'amnesia' about the northern region on the part of historians of pre-modern Korea, which is both a traditional predilection and something reinforced by the division of the country. This widely-researched book is essential reading for anyone trying to understand Korea's pronounced history of regionalism." -- Bruce Cumings * University of Chicago, author of Korea's Place in the Sun: A Modern History *
"With admirable dexterity, Kim presents her case of how Yi Sihang successfully resurrected the ethos of his homeland in defiance of the prejudice and discrimination heaped on it by the elites in the capital. A work of careful scholarship, this book is based on exhaustive and meticulous research. Especially noteworthy is Kim's skillful use of a variety of primary sources. Though relatively short, this book is full of useful information on many aspects of the political and social dynamics of late Choson Korea. In addition to regional issues, Kim gives us a good account and a thoughtful analysis of the factional politics of the time. Comparative perspectives from Chinese and European experiences that the author injects are also meaningful and instructive. A work of solid scholarship, this book opens a new dimension in our understanding of the issue of the center versus the periphery in Choson Korea." -- Yong-Ho Ch'oe * American Historical Review *
"Voice from the North is much more than merely a study of a single figure. It provides important resources and background on the social, political, economic, and international conditions of mid-Chosŏn history impossible to find in English language scholarship . . . To me, the superb quality of her writing style, the intricate weaving of her arguments, and the meticulous depth and breadth of her research are all the justification she needs to demonstrate that 'the microhistorical investigation of a person' matters. Voice from the North is an important addition to Korean historiography . . . Graduate students working in Korean and East Asian history must read it. The monograph will also be of interest to historians of China, Japan, and those outside East Asian Studies, especially those who do similar work in microhistory." -- George Kallander * Journal of Northeast Asian History *
"Sun Joo Kim issues a powerful challenge to the focus on the Seoul elite that dominates most academic discussions of Korea's history. Directing our scholarly glaze toward the neglected north, she invites us to rethink the relationship between the center and the periphery during the Chosŏn dynasty." -- Donald Baker * University of British Columbia *