In Divided United Future? Cumings examines the two Koreas, stressing the importance of historical legacies, the Japanese colonial period and subsequent liberation, the Soviet and American presence, division and war. He analyzes the political and economic systems of North and South Korea, noting the achievements of both radically different regimes.
A specialist in the history of Korea, Bruce Cumings is the Gustavus F. and Ann M. Swift Distinguished Service Professor in History, and former chair of the history department at the University of Chicago.