During his time living in Japan, the American author William Elliot Griffis (1843-1928) became fascinated by Korea and its relationship with Japan. This work, covering Korean history until the year of its publication in 1882, provided a useful introduction to a 'hermit nation' little known in the English-speaking world.

Described as a 'hermit nation' because it isolated itself from the rest of the world, Korea remained very little known to English speakers in the late nineteenth century. During his time in Japan, the American author and educator William Elliot Griffis (1843-1928), who did much to foster understanding between the United States and Japan, became fascinated by Korea and its influence on Japanese history and culture. This historical outline of Korea is compiled from printed sources and eyewitness accounts rather than from personal experience since Griffis was yet to visit Korea at this point. Despite this, and the fact that he was sometimes criticised for presenting Korea in comparison with Japan, this book was well received. First published in 1882, it contains an annotated bibliography and features maps and illustrations throughout. Griffis' most famous work on Japan, The Mikado's Empire (1877), is also reissued in this series.