Cornerstone of the Nation is the first historical account of the complex alliance of military and civilian forces that catapulted South Korea’s conjoined militarization and industrialization under Park Chung Hee (1961–1979). Kwon reveals how Park’s secret program to build an independent defense industry spurred a total mobilization of business, science, labor, and citizenry, all of which converged in military-civilian forces that propelled an unprecedented model of modernization in Korea. Drawing on largely untapped declassified materials from Korea and personal interviews with contemporaneous participants in the nascent defense industry, as well as declassified US documents and other external sources, Kwon weaves together oral histories and documentary evidence in an empirically rich narrative that details how militarization shaped the nation’s rapid economic, technological, political, and social transformation. Cornerstone of the Nation makes the case that South Korea’s arms development under Park may be the most durable and yet least acknowledged factor behind the country’s rise to economic prominence in the late twentieth century. Through an analysis that simultaneously engages some of the most contested issues in Korean historiography, development literature, contemporary politics, and military affairs, this book traces Korea’s distinct pathway to becoming a global economic force. “Significantly contributes to other important topics in modern Korean history…a pathbreaking work [that] will surely itself become a cornerstone of the growing scholarship on the Park Chung Hee era and modern Korean history as a whole.” ― Sungik Yang , Seoul Journal of Korean Studies “An important addition to a growing body of literature, Cornerstone of the Nation belongs in Korean studies classrooms, and equally in the literature for history of technology and comparative development.” ― John P. DiMoia , Journal of Asian Studies “A welcome addition to the empirical record of histories of the Park regime, but also to scholarly conceptualizations of development and nationbuilding. Like the contrail following a ballistic missile, Cornerstone of the Nation points towards farther reaching implications for how we understand the making of militarized statehood.” ― Syrus Solo Jin , Journal of Military History “No one has made the case for a geopolitical perspective on South Korean industrialization as forcefully as Peter Banseok Kwon…[this book] is a rich text that will be enjoyed by students of authoritarianism, development, and security in East Asia.” ― Bridget Martin , Journal of Korean Studies “What makes Kwon’s research so engaging and his argument compelling is the extensive use of various primary sources from both South Korea and the US. He brings to light previously unexplored documents from state archives and archives of various institutions including the Agency for Defence Development, as well as archives of private corporations, combining them with interviews with direct participants and contemporaries of the described events. The book will be of interest not only to Korean Studies scholars and students, but also to a broader range of specialists in military, defence studies, state-society relations in authoritarian regimes, to Cold War historians, as well as to all those interested in how modern South Korea came to be.” ― Natalia Matveeva , Business History Review “Crucial…will serve as a cornerstone for understanding the military nature of technology and industry in 1970s South Korea.” ― Jaehwan Hyun , Technology and Culture “Reconfigures the orthodox scholarship that situates Korea’s industrialization in an East Asian developmental model in the context of Cold War dependence on the United States…Kwon frames Korea firmly as the primary driver of its own history from the 1960s onward. While it is refreshing to read history with Korea as center, the author takes it further with his emphasis on the extraordinary ingenuity, skill, and inventiveness of Korean scientists and engineers. Not only did Korea build a self-reliant and dynamic heavy industrial base in the space of two decades, but it also played an important role in shaping United States policy in East Asia.” ― James Flowers , H-Net Reviews “[An] excellent addition to the Harvard East Asian Monographs series.” ― James I. Matray , Pacific Historical Review “Global economists who study developmental states consider the Republic of Korea (South Korea) to be a model of rapid and successful economic development. Peter Banseok Kwon’s seminal book, Cornerstone of the Nation , offers a rare and valuable analysis of the role of Korea's defense industry in building modern Korea under President Park Chung Hee, the godfather of the 'Korean economic miracle.' Korea is an important ally of the United States, and a major player in the global economy. Korea's robust defense industry is an important component of its economic success, making this an es