Kornel Chang

Kornel Chang, a historian and professor, delves into the U.S. occupation of South Korea from 1945 to 1948, highlighting critical missed opportunities for a unified future. He shares personal motivations rooted in his family's history and explains the impact of Japanese rule on Korean leadership dynamics. Chang discusses early Korean hopes for independence which quickly turned sour, contrasting the U.S. approach in Korea with that of reformist Japan. Ultimately, he explores how decisions made by Soviet and American powers cemented Korea's enduring division.