Project Eagle: The American Christians of North Korea in World War II

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 the forgotten alliance between that movement and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), called Project Eagle. Project Eagle tells the story of the American Christian missionaries in Korea from 1884 to 1942, who 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, 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 the leading national heroes of Korea, Kim Ku. Project Eagle illuminates the shared history between Americans and Koreans that has remained largely unexamined over the past seventy years. 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 remain crucial to understanding the future of the U.S. relations with both Koreas.