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Insight into North Korea’s regime is in short supply. If the Kim rulers were irrational or mad, it would be hard to explain why their dynasty has outlasted the communist governments of Eastern Europe, how it has survived famine and economic failure or how it has held its own through decades of tensions with the world’s superpowers. Professor Andrei Lankov lifts the veil on North Korea and sheds vital light on the reality of its regime, its society and its strategic computations. Lankov, a highly respected scholar on Korea, draws on decades of research, including communications with diplomats and refugees, and his experiences in North Korea as a university exchange student. Although some critics accuse Lankov of offering a Soviet-centric analysis – he was born in Leningrad and received his education in the Soviet Union – he provides a rich, nuanced, accessible overview of North Korea’s history and contemporary society, and a sobering analysis of its possible future. 

Book Publisher:

Oxford UP