"Yŏsu-Sunch’ŏn Rebellion (1948-1949)"

In South Korea, the Korean War is often referred to as yugio (6.25). This designation implies that the character and meaning of the war can be grasped by “June 25, 1950,” the date when the Korean People’s Army (North Korean Army) invaded South Korea. But how did Japan’s defeat in the Asia-Pacific War, in 1945, result in the creation of two Koreas three years later? To what extent did the United States Army Military Government in Korea (1945-1948) shape the creation of South Korea in 1948? What does the uprising on Cheju Island in 1948 and the subsequent Yŏsu-Sunch’ŏn rebellion tell us about the creation of South Korea, and the origins and conduct of the Korean War, a war that remains un-ended?

Lecturer

Prof Dr. Henry Em (Professor at Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea)

Prof Dr. Henry Em (임흥순) teaches modern Korean history at Yonsei University, Underwood International College. He was born in Seoul, grew up in the United States, and received his BA, MA, and PhD (History, 1995) from the University of Chicago. From 1995 to 2013, he taught at UCLA, University of Michigan, and NYU. He was a Fulbright Senior Scholar to Korea (1998-1999) and Visiting Professor at Centre de Recherches sur la Corée, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris (2000).