대한민국 최초 근현대사 박물관인 대한민국역사박물관의 개관 도록으로 한국 근현대사에 관한 내용을 담고 있다. 책은 ‘대한민국의 태동’, ‘기초 확립’, ‘성장과 발전’, ‘선진화와 세계로의 도약’ 네 챕터로 구성되어 있으며 관련 원고와 자료를 충실히 수록하고 있다. 박물관 전시와 맥을 같이하여 전시 관람과 이해에 도움을 줄 뿐 아니라, 책만으로도 한 눈에 한국 근현대사의 흐름을 한눈에 이해할 수 있도록 구성하였다.

Prelude to the Republic of Korea Hope and Despair in Building an Independent Modern Country - The Opening of Ports and Attempts to Modernize - The Independence Club and the Korean Empire - Loss of Sovereignty The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and Independence Movements - Oppression and Exploitation During the Japanese Colonial Period - The March First Independence Movement of1919 and Independence Movements at Home - Women’s History of the Republic of Korea - Activities of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and Independence Movements Abroad The Liberation of Korea from Japanese Rule on August 15, 1945 - The Promise and Joy of Liberation - The 38th Parallel and the Division of the Korean People - Korean Society under U.S. Military Trusteeship Basic Foundation of the Republic of Korea Establishing the Republic of Korea - The Cold War and Left-Right Confrontation - The General Election of May 10, 1948 - The Constituent Assembly - Establishing the Government of the Republic of Korea The Korean War and Postwar Reconstruction - The North Korean Invasion and the Korean War - The Scars of War - Postwar Reconstruction and Economic Assistance Laying the Foundation for a Modern Nation - Laying the Groundwork for Economic Growth and National Defense - The Implementation of Compulsory Education and Sociocultural Changes - A Brief History of Modern Education - The April 19 Revolution - The Second Republic and the May 16 Coup of 1961 The Growth and Development of South Korea Economic Development and Industrialization - The Pursuit of Economic Development - The Development and Dissemination of Science and Technology - Exporting Labor Overseas - Efforts for National Security and a Self-Reliant National Defense - Korea’s Economic Expansion Urban and Rural Transformations - Korea’s Urbanization - The Shadows of Growth: Difficult Working Conditions and the Urban Poor - The Saemaeul (New Village) Movement - The Advent of a Diverse Popular Culture - The Role of Electronics in the Daily Lives of Koreans The Emergence of Civil Society and Democracy - Democratization Movements of the 1960s and 1970s - Democratization Movements of the 1980s - The Development of a Korean Civil Society The Advancement of the Republic of Korea, a Leap towards the World Korea in the World - The 1988 Seoul Olympics and Korean Sports - A History of Korean Sports, Seen through the Olympics - Hallyu and Korean Culture throughout the World - Koreans around the World Building a Strong Economy - The Development of High Technology - The Growth of Information Technology - Changes in the Quality of Life - Korea Stands Tall in the World The Future of Korea Index of Plates