Interview with Quin Cho of Pacific Atrocities Education

Joe is joined by Quin Cho, Author and Fellow, Pacific Atrocities Education to discuss his books and expertise on World War 2. Quin Cho is an accomplished historian and author specializing in the history of global conflict and geopolitics in the Asia-Pacific region. A 2023 summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Quin earned a 4.0 GPA as a double major in History and International Relations. His academic excellence and rigorous training in archival research and historiography earned him the prestigious Outstanding Senior Award from USC’s Phi Beta Kappa society, an honor bestowed upon only three students in his graduating class.Quin’s debut book, Competing Empires in Burma: A Chronicle of the China Burma India Theater of World War II, achieved critical acclaim, ranking in the top 10 of Amazon’s military regiments category and earning an average rating of 4.91 stars on Goodreads.Currently, he is authoring a multi-volume work on the Kwantung Army, exploring its role in the false flag attack on the South Manchuria Railway that precipitated Japan’s conquest of Manchuria and set the stage for World War II in the Asia-Pacific.As a fellow at Pacific Atrocities Education since January 2024, Quin has made significant contributions to the organization’s mission. Despite a three-month sabbatical to study Korean through the State Department’s Critical Language Scholarship, he wrote 176 pages of his forthcoming book, which now totals approximately 427 pages. In March 2024, Quin conducted extensive archival research at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, scanning thousands of pages of primary source documents. These materials enriched his book and expanded PAE’s archival collection. Additionally, he completed a 40-page mini-book on the Battle of Wuhan, slated for release in early 2025.​Looking ahead, Quin’s first volume on the Kwantung Army (150–200 pages) is scheduled for release in September 2025, coinciding with a commemorative event at the Officers Club in San Francisco marking the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end. This strategic launch aims to amplify the book’s reach, with subsequent volumes planned for future years. To continue this ambitious project, Quin seeks to extend his fellowship with PAE through 2025 and 2026, ensuring further contributions to the organization’s educational and archival efforts.