Shrimp to Whale: South Korea from the Forgotten War to K-Pop book launch

Join us for the launch of Ramon Pacheco Pardo’s book Shrimp to Whale: South Korea from the Forgotten War to K-Pop and learn more about the success story of South Korea, from its millennia-old roots, through the division of the Peninsula, dictatorship and economic growth, to today’s global powerhouse. Ramon will be joined in conversation by journalist Andrew Peaple. We’ll have copies available to purchase while you sip on a glass of wine and enjoy the evening’s discussion!

About the book

South Korea has a remarkable history. Born from the ashes of imperial domination, partition and a devastating war, back in the 1950s there were real doubts about its survival as an independent state. Yet South Korea endures: today it is a boisterous democracy, a vibrant market economy, a tech powerhouse, and home to the coolest of cultures. In just seventy years, this society has grown from a shrimp into a whale.

What explains this extraordinary transformation? For some, it was individual South Koreans who fought to change their country, and still strive to shape it. For others, it was forward-looking political and business leaders with a vision. Either way, it’s clear that this is the story of a people who dreamt big, and whose dreams came true.

Shrimp to Whale is a lively history of South Korea, from its millennia-old roots, through the division of the Peninsula, dictatorship and economic growth, to today’s global powerhouse.

About the author

Ramon Pacheco Pardo is Professor of International Relations at King’s College London, and KF-VUB Korea Chair at the Brussels School of Governance. He is also a non-resident adjunct fellow with the Center for Strategic Studies Korea Chair, and a non-resident fellow at the Sejong Institute. Ramon has lived twice in South Korea, and remains a regular visitor there for both work and leisure. He regularly teaches and provides media commentary about the country.

About the moderator

Andrew Peaple is the news editor at The Wire China, as well as the co-founder and presenter of the podcast ‘Asia Matters’. Prior to these roles he had 16 years’ experience as a financial journalist with The Wall Street Journal, much of which was spent in Asia. Andrew has appeared as a commentator on WSJ’s own videos, the BBC, Sky News and BBC Radio among other stations.