Looking at Mirror Images: The Korean Plight to Find its Place in a New World

"Looking at Mirror Images" departs from the practice of studying Korea's relationship with China, its past suzerain Japan, its colonizer; and America, the leader of the alliance; and analyzes Korea's imitation of Belgium and perception of Ireland to understand its struggle against colonization. "Looking at Mirror Images" first seeks to explain how Koreans came to emulate Belgium when they were forcibly incorporated into an imperial world order. Korean leaders' attempt to harness international law to pursue a Belgian model of neutrality was eventually futile. Once colonized, both Koreans and Japanese looked at different phases of British Ireland as role models that Korea should aim to become like. An analysis of the Korean project of emulating Belgian neutrality prior to colonization and Korean perception of Ireland after colonization, will offer insights into Korea's unsuccessful struggle to maintain sovereignty.