A documentary in production
A Survey of Korea and Its Shared History with the United States
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Step back in time to 1897, when Korea's last monarch, Gojong, founded the Korean Empire, seeking to emerge from the looming shadow of China. The Emperor's vision for Korean sovereignty and independence, however, was thwarted by the rise of Japan, whose ambitions in the Far East included control of the Korean peninsula.
The Gwangmu Emperor, 1852–1919
As the 20th century unfolded, Korea faced a turbulent era of occupation, hardship, and war. From the fall of the Korean Empire and the harsh Japanese occupation, followed by the peninsula's partition at the 38th parallel and the devastation wrought by the Korean War — these were decades of profound struggle and loss for the Korean people.
Haengju, Korea. June 9, 1951
The birth of the Korean-American Alliance in the 20th century, however, helped alter this equation —
— setting the stage for the miraculous transformation of South Korea's economy and establishing the Republic of Korea as a political, economic, and cultural leader in Asia, giving substance, finally, to the dream of Korea's last Emperor.
With the assistance of some of the foremost Korean and American scholars, along with archival film footage, still photographs and period music, The Evolution of Korea vividly brings this story to life in a two-hour/two-part historical documentary.
The Evolution of Korea is scheduled to complete production in 2027, for a nationwide broadcast on public television stations across the United States.
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