Robert S. Kim contributes to a fuller understanding of Asia in
World War II by revealing the role of American Christian missionary
families in the development of the Korean independence movement and
the creation of Project Eagle, the forgotten alliance between that
movement and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), called Project
Eagle.Project Eagle tells the story of American missionaries in
Korea from 1884 to 1942. They brought a new religion, modern
education, and American political ideals to a nation conquered and
ruled by the Japanese Empire. The missionaries' influence
inextricably linked Christianity and American-style democracy to
Korean nationalism and independence, meanwhile establishing an
especially strong presence in Pyongyang. Project Eagle connects
this era for the first time to OSS-Korean cooperation during the
war through the story of its central figures: American missionary
sons George McCune and Clarence Weems and one of Korea's leading
national heroes, Kim Ku. Project Eagle illuminates the shared
history between Americans and Koreans that has remained
largely unexamined since World War II. The legacy of these American
actions in Korea, ignored by the U.S. government and the academy
since 1945, has shaped the relationship of the United States to
both North Korea and South Korea and remains crucial to
understanding the future of U.S. relations with both Koreas.