Understand South Korea, a success story with a dark side

IN LESS THAN a lifetime South Korea has undergone a huge transformation. In the mid-20th century, when it was poor and ruled by a dictator, it was not so different from its communist northern neighbour (though it was aligned with the United States). It has become a democracy of 52m people and an economic and technological powerhouse. Its music and films entrance hundreds of millions of people who don’t speak a word of Korean. South Korea is justly proud of these achievements, but there are aspects of its society and politics that it is less eager to talk about. Among its worries are one of the world’s lowest birth rates, inequalities of both class and gender and an over-cosy relationship between business and politics. Here are five books and a film to help you understand South Korea’s light and dark sides.