by Mikyoung Kim
First published 2010
Northeast Asia faces a paradox of memory overload rather than memory loss. Mikyoung Kim examines how China, Japan and Korea grapple with historical traumas that refuse to fade. The author argues that excessive remembrance of past wounds blocks these nations from addressing current challenges effectively. Through detailed analysis of Asian contexts, Kim challenges Western assumptions about historical memory and its effects. The essays collected here demonstrate how unforgotten traumas shape contemporary politics and international relations across the region. Kim's work bridges Eastern and Western academic perspectives, offering insights that enrich scholarly understanding of memory's role in national identity. The book reveals how the burden of remembering prevents reconciliation and forward progress in Northeast Asia.
Genres: history, international-relations, political-science, non-fiction, asian-american, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: reconciliation, unforgotten-traumas
Setting: China, Japan, Korea, Northeast Asia
Period: 21st-century
290 pages · Hardcover · Palgrave Macmillan