Cornerstone of the Nation: The Defense Industry and the Building of Modern Korea under Park Chung Hee
Author Talk and Discussion
In this lecture, drawing from his recent book Cornerstone of the Nation: The Defense Industry and the Building of Modern Korea (Harvard University Asia Center, 2024), Peter Kwon discusses the pivotal yet often overlooked role of the defense sector in South Korea's modernization under Park Chung Hee (1961-79) and its lasting impact on the nation. The presentation will focus on how South Korea's strategy of militarized industrialization under Park fostered a distinct synergy between arms development, economic growth, political shifts, and technological innovation, significantly contributing to the country's transformation into a highly developed nation.
About the Author
Peter Banseok Kwon is an Assistant Professor of Korean Studies at the University at Albany, SUNY (SUNY Albany). As a historian focused on modern and contemporary Korea, his research interest spans a wide range of topics, including the evolution of the Korean defense industry, the dynamics between Korea's military and civilian sectors, the interplay between authoritarian politics and civil society in East Asia, North Korean political ideology, Korean nationalism, and the relationship between Christianity and social movements.
Register here: https://specialevents.asu.edu/ereg/newreg.php?eventid=793493&
Organized by the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, Arizona State University