Description

Rating: Not rated

Tags: History, Lang:en

Summary

“How did you end up in Korea?” is a question that most people have asked when they learn that I have lived and worked in South Korea.

“I turned left at Japan,” I’ve often replied, tweaking a famous line from The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night when John Lennon was asked, “How did you find America?” upon which he replied, “Turned left at Greenland.”

When the author arrived in Korea in December of 1990, the country was still reeling from hosting the successful 1988 Olympics. It was an exciting time to be here; one could feel the energy and sense that the nation was poised to become a major player on the world stage. People have often talked about this “Miracle of the Han” when Korea’s economy started to take off in the 70s, but by the time Miller arrived here, it was no longer a miracle; instead, it had become a celebration.

The Korea that Miller discovered in 1990 was different and removed from the Korea of today. In the time that he has been here, he has seen a lot of changes and became witness to many historical events, which have affected not only the peninsula and the region, but also the world.

What was life like in Korea before "Gangnam Style?"

Find out here.

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Review

"It's a fairly rare expat in Korea who can claim twenty-plus years in Korea. Jeffrey Miller is one of those guys, of course, and his first-person perspective on Korea's history since 1990 is a rock-solid one." -- Chris Backe, Travel Wire Asia