During the Second World War, the British government participated in the initial decisions associated with the postwar disposition of colonial Korea. After 1945 UK officials were active in shaping postwar Korea’s transformation from semi-colonial status under the American occupation to independence as a state closely tied to American security and economic policies in Northeast Asia. This presentation will explore the ideas and diplomacy of British diplomats, their perceptions about the US occupation, and policies towards elections held in southern Korea in 1948 and overseen by the UN Temporary Commission on Korea.

Steven Lee is Associate Professor of History and former chair of the international relations program at the University of British Columbia. His publications include Outposts of Empire: Korea, Vietnam and the Origins of the Cold War, 1949-1954 (1996), The Korean War (2001), and Transformations in Twentieth Century Korea, co-edited with Yunshik Chang (2006). He has coedited a volume of The Journal of American-East Asian Relations on the theme of the two Koreas in the 1950s (2017), and has written articles on the history of Korean refugees, Canada-Korean Relations, and the role of the UN in Korea.

If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact us at ncks.info@umich.edu. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.