Offspring of Empire: The Koch'ang Kims and the Colonial Origins of Korean Capitalism, 1876-1945 is a book by Carter Eckert.

Eckert uses Kyungbang as a "window through which one can explore at a concrete and human level the origins and early development of Korean capitalism.

[6] Eckert argues that while nationalism certainly contributed to Korean industrialization, Japan's decision to halve rice prices made agricultural enterprises unattractive, and the repeal of the Company Law which required all new business in Korea to receive a license from the colonial government removed a significant barrier to industrialization.

[9] Eckert argues that because Kyungbang had difficulty establishing a niche in a textile market dominated by Japanese imports, it could not have survived without government subsidies or loans.

[15] Meredith Woo Cummings criticized the book for equating capitalism with industrialization and for characterizing Korean businessmen as being driven by "myopic self interest.