Min Yonghwan: The Selected Writings of a Late Choson Diplomat Volume 32 - Paperback

by Michael Finch (Author)

Min Yŏnghwan was a statesman and reformist of late Chosŏn dynasty Korea. His suicide in protest of the 1905 Japanese-Korean Treaty of Protection made him a "powerful symbol of Korean independence" and led to his being regarded as a major patriot in Korea to this day. This book, however, celebrates Min's life as a diplomat through his own words. Min's detailed descriptions of his journeys to Russia to attend Czar Nicholas II's coronation and London for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee produce vivid images of the world at that time while also revealing Min's perceptions of it from his Confucian background. Readers will find the translation smooth and the texts engaging.

Back Jacket

Available for the first time in English translation, these documents contain valuable information on Min's diplomatic missions which have remained largely neglected by most scholars writing on the last decades of the Chosun dynasty.

"As a window into the life and career of a senior official in the twilight years of the Chosun dynasty, Finch's able translation and introduction are very helpful."--Vipan Chandra, Wheaton College, The Journal of Asian Studies

"Well researched, this book is both informative and enjoyable....Even those unfamiliar with Korean history should find this book accessible, especially as aided by the introduction that nicely contextualizes the translated texts."--Eugene Y. Park, University of Pennsylvania, Pacific Affairs

Author Biography

Michael Finch is a professor in the Department of Korean Studies at Keimyung University, Taegu, Korea. Education: B.A. University of Cambridge, M.A. Yonsei University, D.Phil. University of Oxford