Kongdan Oh, Ralph Hassig

North Korea in a Nutshell (eBook, PDF)

A Contemporary Overview

• Format: PDF

Produktbeschreibung

Explore North Korea, one of the most secretive countries in the world. This thoughtful book provides a concise introduction to North Korea. Two leading experts, Kongdan Oh and Ralph Hassig, trace the country's history from its founding in 1948 and describe the many facets of its political, economic, social, and cultural life. The authors illuminate a hidden nation dominated by three generations of the secretive Kim regime, a family dynasty more suited to the Middle Ages than the contemporary era. North Korea has a robust if outmoded military force, including a growing arsenal of weapons of mass destruction, to deter and defend against foreign attacks and to maintain independence and isolation from the rest of the world. The struggling economy, disconnected from the global marketplace, operates under harsh international sanctions. All North Koreans, from the highest party cadres to the youngest children living in prison camps, are essentially servants of the leader. Despite Kim Jong-un's despotic control, the authors argue that North Korea cannot continue on its current path indefinitely. Kim treats even his closest associates harshly, and the gap is widening between his elite supporters, numbering a million or so, and the other twenty-four million North Koreans. The economic and technological gap between South Korea and North Korea is increasing as well, and younger people are becoming disenchanted as they gradually learn more about the outside world.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Bloomsbury eBooks US
• Seitenzahl: 280
• Erscheinungstermin: 11. Juni 2021
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9798881878924
• Artikelnr.: 74850273

Autorenporträt

Kongdan Oh is a Senior Asia Specialist at the Institute for Defense Analyses and an invited columnist for the Asia Times.

Inhaltsangabe

Preface
1 Geography and History: A Troubled Land
Physical Geography: A Land of Great Potential
Cities: Few and Far Between
Korean History: A Shrimp among Whales
The North Korean State: Communism and Kim Come to Korea
The Korean War: A Disastrous Attempt to Unify the Country
2 Leadership: The Kim Dynasty
Kim Il-sung: The Strong Kim
Kim Jong-il: The Secretive Kim
Kim Jong-un: The Young and Ruthless Kim
Guidance: An Exercise in Public Relations
Mansions: Living Like Kings
3 The Government: Of the Party, by the Party, for the Leader
Governance: Riddled with Corruption
Social Control: Dominating the People
Crimes: Ordinary and Political
Prisons: Cruel and Usual
Corruption: The Currency of the Realm
Lies: Second Nature to the Regime
4 Human Rights: An Alien Concept
Political Class: Loyalty to the Regime
Defectors: An Exit for People without Voice
Human Rights Reputation: An International Disgrace
5 The Military: "Pillar" of Society
Weapons and Strategy: A Porcupine Defense
Soldiers: Wartime Cannon Fodder, Peacetime Slave Labor
Nuclear Weapons: The Pride of the Regime
Missiles: Power Projection
Threats as a Weapon: The First Line of Defense
6 Foreign Relations: Of a Hermit Kingdom
Foreign Policy Principles: Independence First and Last
North Korea and South Korea: Deadly Competition
North Korea and China: Beware of the Dragon
North Korea and Japan: Age-Old Enmity
Japan's Chosen Soren: A Fifth Column in Enemy Territory
North Korea and the United States: The Ultimate Enemy
Tourism: Cautious and Controlled
7 The Economy: From Socialism to Capitalism
The Old Economy: Socialist in Principle
The New Economy: Capitalist in Practice
Industry: A National Rust Belt
Farming: Planting Seeds on Rocky Ground
The Local Economy: Taking up the Slack
International Trade: Not Easy for a Hermit Kingdom
Foreign Investment Inflow: Risky for Investors
Working Abroad: Hard Work for the Privileged Few
International Sanctions: The Price of Nuclear Weapons
8 Transportation and Communication: Necessary for the New Economy
Domestic Transportation: Slowed by Years of Neglect
Old Communication Channels: Government to People
New Communication Channels: People to People
9 Culture and Lifestyle: Trying to Live a Normal Life
Education: Ideological and Academic
Food: Living on the Edge
Housing: Substandard and in Short Supply
Health and Health Care: A Victim of the Bad Economy
Religion: Totally Banned
Sports and Amusements: Simple Pleasures for the People
Life Events: The Same the World Over
10 Conclusion
Notes
About the Authors