Product Description
The Kim dynasty has ruled North Korea for over 60 years. Most of that period has found the country suffering under mature Stalinism characterized by manipulation, brutality and tight social control. Nevertheless, some citizens of Kim Jong Il's regime manage to transcend his tyranny in their daily existence.

This book describes that difficult but determined existence and the world that the North Koreans have created for themselves in the face of oppression. Many features of this world are unique and even bizarre. But they have been created by the citizens to reflect their own ideas and values, in sharp contrast to the world forced upon them by a totalitarian system.

Opening chapters introduce the political system and the extent to which it permeates citizens' daily lives, from the personal status badges they wear to the nationalized distribution of the food they eat. Chapters discussing the schools, the economic system, and family life dispel the myth of the workers' paradise that North Korea attempts to perpetuate. In these chapters the intricacies of daily life in a totalitarian dictatorship are seen through the eyes of defectors whose anecdotes constitute an important portion of the material. The closing chapter treats at length the significant changes that have taken place in North Korea over the last decade, concluding that these changes will lead to the quiet but inevitable death of North Korean Stalinism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

North Korea A-Z
Soviet-born Andrei Lankov has been traveling in and out of North Korea since the 80s and is one of the few scholars who can offer both the perspective and sense of history needed to shed light on the most secretive nation on Earth.

This collection of short (3-4 page) essays skips the usual political and military angle and instead focuses on daily life.There are essays on North Korean schools, mass transit, radio and even religion.Lankov explains these aspects of life comparing them to life in the old Soviet Union and explaining how they have changed since the famines of the mid-90s.

This book is the perfect compliment to Barbara Demick's Nothing to Envy.While her book give a detailed account of the lives of a few defectors Lankov's book speaks in broad terms about the country as a whole.The two books both inform the reader in different ways.

There are some rough spots.Lankov closes each essay with speculation about what will happen after the regime falls, these are sometimes interesting but after a while start to feel like a propaganda campaign of his own.Lankov also has a habit of giving figures without sources.When he says 40% of North Korean households have televisions I wonder where that came from, certainly government figures cannot be trusted and anyone else would be guessing.

So readers should keep a skeptical mind, but as long as they do this is a very useful book for anyone looking to better understand North Korea.

Daily life in the land of "Dear Leader"
Andrei Lankov has spent his career studying North Korea, beginning as an exchange student in Pyongyang, and more recently, interviewing numerous defectors. As a Russian, Lankov is in a position to make observations that would escape other observers, namely the parallels with Stalinist Russia. Indeed, the author says that the Kim dynasty has created a caricature of Stalinism that even the Soviet leaders regarded as a laughingstock.

Lankov's book examines daily life in North Korea. Most of its essays focus on minutiae, such as the architectural layout of high-rise apartment buildings and the design of its currency, while a few essays cover more substantial matters, such as the North Korean kidnappings of other countries' citizens, and the attempts to murder South Korean leaders. This book is for those who have already read something about North Korea and want to know more. What is it like to live in the world's most oppressive society?

This book is filled with interesting tidbits. If you're a North Korean, you can expect to change clothes once a week and get a bath every two weeks(!). To have a bathtub or shower in one's apartment is a rare luxury reserved for the elite; others must go to crowded bathhouses. Basic hygiene becomes a luxury.

In no way is this an egalitarian society; it consists of clearly delineated strata based on genealogy and occupation, in which the highest tranche enjoys unparalleled luxury while the bottom level faces chronic malnutrition, if not outright starvation. Of the population, 1/20th has been in a prison camp at some point in their lives, and some die slow deaths in those camps due to starvation and overwork. The largest prison camps are veritable cities with 50,000 inmates.

If there is a flaw, it's that the writing seems excessively informal. The writing is peppered with exclamation marks. Because the book consists of essays that Lankov had written for other media outlets, some essays repeat material in earlier essays. (Was there an editor?) The author's use of the word "lefties" speaks for itself. Indeed, one of Lankov's pet peeves is that human rights abuses in North Korea get insufficient media attention because such criticism is unfashionable at the moment, and draws a parallel with how "lefties" were once enamored with Maoist China.

Lankov assumes a "hard landing" is around the corner (i.e., a collapse of North Korean society rather than gradual reform). If so, it will be far more traumatic than the collapse of other Communist regimes, and the burden on South Korea will be unfathomable, straining that nation to the breaking point. However, analysts have been anticipating the collapse of the North Korean regime for decades, and it hasn't happened yet despite famines coupled with oppression surpassing Stalin's policies. Lankov argues the free flow of information across the Chinese-North Korean border, previously an impermeable barrier, will lead to the regime's collapse.

Fascinating description of daily life in North Korea
Fascinating description of daily life in North Korea, and how much it has changed in recent years.The essays are short and informative. I planned to only read a few, but this book is almost impossible to put down. Every page contains a revelation. The writing is witty and engaging.

Lankov is a Korea expert who grew up in the USSR, so he is able to fruitfully contrast the communist society of his youth with North Korea. That gives him an edge that is illuminating about more than just North Korea.

A few examples that caught my attention:

Lankov went to North Korea as a Soviet exchange student. Russians in the USSR thought of North Koreans as brainwashed automatons back then--quite similar to the American perception, but who knew?

When North Korean television showed a protest in South Korea to demonstrate that South Koreans were oppressed, the average North Korean noticed instead that, contrary to what they had been told by their government, South Koreans did not appear poor. They appeared well fed and well dressed. Unlike themselves.

Chinese people are dumping VCRs and buying DVD players in droves, the result of which is that--in part because the border has become porous due to the decline of the North Korean state-- North Koreans are buying cheap used VCRs and watching South Korean programming, spreading South Korean fashion, music and culture. Lankov compares that to the rock and roll and blue jeans of his Soviet youth, and wonders if the consequences might be similar.

Professor Lankov is an authority on North Korea
As a Russian scholar who lived in North Korea in the 1980s, he has a unique perspective and understanding of this strange and secluded country. Easy reading as it's several essays packed in chapters, dealing with various aspects of life in North Korea.

I should read it again - very enjoyable to read and highly informative.

Daily life in North Korea

A gem of a book. By far the best account of daily life in North Korea. Having grown up in the Soviet Union, Lankov understands how these kinds of societies work like no other scholar in writing in English today. These essays aren't about nuclear weapons, the Korean War, or about Kim Il Sung- they're about how North Koreans actually live and what makes them tick. Totally unlike anything else published about North Korea. ... Read more

Product Description
In January of 1965, twenty-four-year-old U.S. Army sergeant Charles Robert Jenkins abandoned his post in South Korea, walked across the DMZ, and surrendered to communist North Korean soldiers standing sentry along the world's most heavily militarized border. He believed his action would get him back to the States and a short jail sentence. Instead he found himself in another sort of prison, where for forty years he suffered under one of the most brutal and repressive regimes the world has known. This fast-paced, harrowing tale, told plainly and simply by Jenkins (with journalist Jim Frederick), takes the reader behind the North Korean curtain and reveals the inner workings of its isolated society while offering a powerful testament to the human spirit. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Fiction? Obviously distorted.
It's true what they say that people remember their actions as being more honorable then they actually were, particularly when it involves something they did of which they are ashamed. That is pretty clear in this book as Charles Jenkins tries to make himself a misunderstood hero from the start. I am sure his actions weren't half as honorable as he remembers them. He rationalizes everything....why he wasn't smart enough for school (but still a "super" hero, right?), why his alchoholism wasn't his fault, why his desertion wasn't his fault (they should have known he was drunk). It's very off-putting from the beginning. He projects alot. I don't really understand the point of the accusation that the US Army fabricated a letter from him to his mother as evidence of his desertion when there was plenty of evidence. They didn't need to fabricate any. Isn't it more likely that a sympathetic notification person did not want to tell someone that their son left several letters to soldiers he barely knew before deserting to North Korea but not one for his mother? The rationale at the end of the book that he doesn't think that he deserves the poor opinions of him because a lot of people desert the military is ridiculous as well. I don't know if his sentences of forty years in North Korea and 25 days in jail were sufficient because I don't know how many people suffered as a result of the information he gave the North Koreans. But it's clear that he doesn't truly regret his decision, only that he suffered for it. And his confusion on why he isn't granted forgiveness by everyone just because he demands it just reinforces how ignorant he has always been. This book is worth it for the insight into North Korean life. Buy the print version because the Kindle doesn't show the pictures, which is lame since several other Kindle books have shown that this is possible.

The Thin Red Line
Very disappointing read-thin on detail. The more I read, the less sympathetic I found old cock up Sgt. Jenkins. He suffered inconviences and had a low standard of living in a repressive totalitarian state.
His wife rescued him.
Due to political pressure he was given a walk on desertion to a hostile state.
Most of his explanations of his actions ring off center.
He wrote the book to cash in on his fame in Japan.
An extremely disappointing effort.

Mike (Ohio)

Unique and fascinating account.
A unique in-depth look at North Korea and its treatment of the four US soldiers who went across to the North. SGT Jenkins was different from the other three:he was an NCO (sergeant) and did not have any disciplinary problems hanging over his head. His descriptions of coping with food and material shortages over the years illustrate "good old Yankee ingenuity,"nonwithstanding the fact that all four were from the South. With only one soldier (Dresnok) left in the North (Jenkins left, the other two - Parrish, Abshier - died), this account will never be duplicated.

Truth or Fiction?
The problem with Jenkins' version of events is accuracy, veracity.Jenkins has more than ample motive to fabricate.There can be little doubt that he was ready to say whatever needed in order to mitigate his sentence for desertion and get back to Japan.And the story worked.What is the truth?I don't know.To get another side of the story, see the film "Crossing the Line" available at Amazon or on Netflix (both as a DVD or Instant play).This film gives James Joseph Dresnok's (another deserter) version of what happened.Then you can decide.

No photos in Kindle version
Just a heads up, there appear to be no photos in the Kindle version of this book. I was very disappointed to find this out. It simply refers to the print version instead.

FYI for those who are thinking about buying the Kindle version. I am not happy about this at all and I may return the book. I expect to get photos when I buy an ebook. ... Read more

Product Description
Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader offers in-depth portraits of North Korea+s two ruthless and bizarrely Orwellian leaders, Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il. Lifting North Korea+s curtain of self-imposed isolation, this book will take readers inside a society that, to a Westerner, will appear to be from another planet. Subsisting on a diet short on food and long on lies, North Koreans have been indoctrinated from birth to follow unquestioningly a father-son team of megalomaniacs. Revised and expanded for the paperback edition, this fascinating, definitive history brings the reader right up to the present-day tensions. For as this book direly predicted, North Korea has a legitimate nuclear program and appears to be the greatest threat to the world today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (67)

A Real-Life Horror Story
I'm still reeling from this book.If you think things couldn't get any worse, this is the blueprint for exactly how they can get worse, and stay that way for the indefinite future.That North Korea is an internal mess is no surprise, but 'tightly controlled' doesn't begin to describe the apparent life the average person leads.It's easy to take what the government has been telling us for years about this country with a grain of salt, but I was left with the ghastly impression that they haven't been telling us enough.Who knows where the story of North Korea will lead?

A fascinating tour of a strange place
A while back I saw a bizarre video put out by DPRK, featuring Kim Jong Il and Alexander Cao de Banos.This video triggered a strange curiosity in me about North Korea.I rarely read history books, but I found this a great read. Considering it is around 800 pages, and I finished it, that is saying something.I am not qualified to question the accuracy, but the author does mention possible criticisms of the book (for example regarding the veracity of some of the defector testimony), which gets him a couple of points with me.

Amazing to consider the fate of these people, and the starvation.In so many regions of the world, humanity is terrible, failed experiment.I never miss a meal.

Great book.

Eminently Educational, Eminently Unsettling
"Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader" is an astounding volume of facts and first-hand accounts that tells the story of the Koreas from the beginning of the 20th century to the present, focusing on the Kim dynasty and what they have wrought on North Korea and the rest of the world over the past century.Bradley Martin, a veteran professional journalist and Asia expert, writes with a polished cadence and delivery that allows for smooth and tireless reading despite the disturbing nature of the material.

Mr. Martin appears level-headed and fair as he describes exhaustively the abject state of 20 million North Koreans, many of whom appear so profoundly impacted that they could never adjust to another reality.So total and so prolonged has been their indoctrination that they are broken psychologically, as is the nation broken economically and socially, as is the land broken ecologically, and as are the leaders broken morally.More depressing is the evidence Mr. Martin offers that the gene pool of this population has been altered by generations of purges and culls, until the only survivors are the "loyals", a quarter of the population who have been resourceful enough to have risen to top, and the downtrodden other three-quarters who are either too ignorant or too powerless to do anything but suffer in persecuted silence until they are sucked down into the depths to drown.

I have only read three books on North Korea, but it is hard to imagine any book coming close to "Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader".I am confident that Nicholas Kristof of The New York Review of Books was on target when he called it "simply the best book ever written on North Korea".Mr. Martin's work inspired in me horror, despondence, and some nightmares too.The emotional impact of the book is high, like John Hersey's "Hiroshima".

This is not a book for the faint-hearted, nor for readers who require happy endings.But anyone with an interest in the Koreas, in Asia as a whole, or indeed in the various phenomena of totalitarian societies in general, will find this work eminently educational -- and eminently unsettling.

The Loving Fatherly Leader Slept Here

I thought UNDER THE LOVING CARE OF THE FATHERLY LEADER, NORTH KOREA AND THE KIM DYNASTYwas an excellent book.It is a good size book and full of detailed facts, some which Bradley Martin observed and some from extensive research. It was very educational. The book also shows Martin's excellent wit.

The book tells all about howKim Il-sung fought grew up and became a rebel fighter against the powers and how he became the power.He magically enhanced the masses to believe in him and his wisdom, which he became a deity to them., not that he didn't have a little down to earth human in him also (psst!He preferred newly teened girls).

Then, along came his son Kim Jong-il who loved movies and even tried his hand in making a few.Kim Jong-ilwas a spoiled brat in his formative years and became an eccentric recluse, which I think goes with the job description as being leader of North Korea.

Another apparent duty of the highest office for father and son is to trust no one.If someone disagrees with you or to tell the heavenly leader facts he doesn't want to the best thing to do for that person is to have him reeducated and inspired at a center specially designed for such education.Many people have defected to avoid being reeducated.... it must be a "tough-love" type of education.

I really enjoyed the book.I feel I know a little more about Korea as a whole.

The front cover blurb sums it up perfectly.
Simply the best book ever written about North Korea. I had recently seen a few documentaries, most notably the Vice Guide, on North Korea and my interest became piqued. This was the one book everyone seemed to recommend and I can see why. Starting with Kim Il-Sung's life and going all the way into the Bush years this book covers almost every detail about North Korea, the people who run it, and the people who live there. The way the book carefully outlines different situations that had occurred and mixes it with defector testimony is striking. And nothing is ever presented in such a way that it seems like reading a text book (aside from perhaps the earlier chapters on Kim Il-Sungs early life), the book is written and edited perfectly so the reader feels engrossed the entire way through, though it may just be because the subject matter is so interesting and terrifying.

If you have any curiosity into the North Korean totalitarian hell, this is the first book you should read. You may not need to read another. ... Read more

Product Description
It possesses nuclear weapons and missiles to deliver them, and despite some progress, it is by no means clear that the ongoing six-party talks will be able to reveal the full extent of the country s nuclear activities, much less persuade Pyongyang to give them up.
The United States maintains tens of thousands of forces on the Korean peninsula in support of its commitments to the Republic of Korea (South Korea), a country with which the North is still technically at war. And the peninsula sits in a strategically vital region, where the United States, China, Russia, Japan, and South Korea all have important interests at stake.
All of this puts a premium on close attention to and knowledge of developments in North Korea. Unfortunately, Kim Jong-Il s government is perhaps the world s most difficult to read or even see. This Council Special Report, commissioned by CFR s Center for Preventive Action and authored by Paul B. Stares and Joel S. Wit, focuses on how to manage one of the central unknowns: the prospect of a change in North Korea s leadership. The report examines three scenarios: managed succession, in which the top post transitions smoothly; contested succession, in which government officials or factions fight for power after Kim s demise; and failed succession, in which a new government cannot cement its legitimacy, possibly leading to North Korea s collapse. The authors consider the challenges that these scenarios would pose ranging from securing Pyongyang s nuclear arsenal to providing humanitarian assistance and analyze the interests of the United States and others. They then provide recommendations for U.S. policy. In particular, they urge Washington to bolster its contingency planning and capabilities in cooperation with South Korea, Japan, and others, and to build a dialogue with China that could address each side s concerns.
With Kim Jong-Il s health uncertain and with a new president in the United States, this report could not be more timely. And with all the issues at stake on the Korean peninsula, the subject could not be more important. Preparing for Sudden Change in North Korea is a thoughtful work that provides valuable insights for managing a scenario sure to arise in the coming months or years. ... Read more

Product Description
Examines internal changes in North Korea under the expanding rule of Kim Jong Il. ... Read more

Product Description
The first of its kind, this book provides a unique inside look into the hidden world of ordinary North Koreans. Mike Kim, who worked with refugees on the Chinese border for four years, recounts their experiences of enduring famine, sex-trafficking, and torture, as well as the inspirational stories of those who overcame tremendous adversity to escape the repressive regime of their homeland and make new lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Heartbreaking storytelling with hopeful results
Kim offers a fascinating view into the isolated world of north korea.The plight of the average person is astonishing.Most people know of the terrible famine, the repressive policies, particularly as they relate to religion or politics, and mind-numbing propaganda, but the stories of the refugees told here bring the tragedy to a personal level.The catastrophe that is north korea displays the abject failure of communism and its devastating effect on its citizenry.The author's and others' work to help the north korean refugees is encouraging but Kim lays out much to do.The book consists largely of imparting the stories of refugees and their lives under kim jung il and his cronies.I consider myself a person who keeps up on the news coming out of north korea and still found new details here.The extent of human trafficking along with the very real threat of being returned by Chinese authorities are issues that are well presented and should be of great concern to the world at large.The information relayed by the refugees about how much and what kind of food was available and/or affordable is also very interesting and continues to underscore the magnitude of human suffering caused by the stalinist regime.While the book is obviously not a feel-good pick-me-up there is an undercurrent of hope presented in the ongoing work of Christian organizations such as Crossing Borders and the resilience of the refugees themselves.Also very interesting is Kim's story of helping refugees enter guarded embassies and cross secured borders.Some reviewers have noted that refugees often inflate their ordeals to gain sympathy and support and are therefore not reliable witnesses, however; the refugees stories are very consistent with one another and certainly the reality of their starvation is written in their bodies.Many are suffering in north korea, but much can be done to help them.I especially enjoyed Mr. Kim's frequent references to his own Christian faith, those he works with and the refugees who find comfort and salvation through their work.It is inspiring to read about Christians heading into north korea and especially those refugees who willingly return to share the gospel with their friends and families under threat of death or imprisonment in the gulags.Absent here are arguments on politics or particular strategies for dealing with north korea and their nuclear program.Mr. Kim's book is simply a straightforward telling of the need for help however it can be offered.I recommend this book for someone who is interested in the human suffering within north korea, the bravery of refugees and the people risking their own lives to help them, and what individuals can do to help.This is a very timely book.It's time to free the people of north korea.

A good read
Escaping North Korea was a book I thought would capture a epic story - about the author's experiences helping refugees escape North Korea. Although there are bits and pieces of that epic story in there, the book is what good non-fiction is suppose to do - it does not fudge the facts to present a more interesting story - it presents what actually happened. Although the book is not your typical escape from doom story, it does do a good job of presenting what life is really like for these refugees. You view a splice of their lives, the tragic and horrifying conditions they go through, and their experience with lasting or fleeting freedom.

Letdown
After seeing the Daily Show interview I thought this would be an excellent book, but it was quite a disappointment. It is very badly written, as if no editor was present. After the first few chapters I already got very tired of the repetitive "someone told me..."and "it is said that..." method of relaying 'facts'. It makes it hard to ascertain the veracity of what he states and actually weakens whatever it is he wants to convey. Kim uses a sledgehammer to try to convince the reader how evil and backward North Korea is and throws everything but the kitchen sink at it. I have no doubt that North Korea is a pretty bad place to live, but the case would have been much better made if it felt more objective and deeper informed. The information in the books sounds too propagandistic and seems based on too much hearsay to actually help to give the reader the feeling they got a reliable description of the refugee problem and the issues with North Korea. And on a side note, the bit overbearing Christian angle also does not really help either.

I liked it
As someone who knows little about North Korea other than the fact that they are very seclusive, I found the book to be interesting. Organization is a little off, some chapters are about life in N.Korea, others about rescue attempts (some amusing because the author, at times, was just kind of "winging it" and expresses relief that things worked out). Some conclusions are drawn quite hastily and without much besides speculation. For instance, at one point the idea is presented that N.Korea intentionally turns a blind eye to coke problems because it decreases appetite (in an place of food shortage) while keeping people hyper-alert for work.

If you are looking for a dramatic read, this isn't you you. It hits a weird spot where it is mostly informative, but not in an empirical sense, more of a "satisfying your curiosity" kind of way.

Not worth the time
This was a weak read without any central focus or meaningful conclusions.The few extended experiences he described should have been much more interesting but were somehow unfulfilling.He also infused far too much Christianity into what, for the most part, should be a secular issue.That was probably the most distracting issue for me and should have been left at the door since he reached far beyond just what his personal experiences were (otherwise it would have been ok but just not my cup of tea).Really, a whole chapter of Christianity in North Korea?Find a better book. ... Read more

Product Description
North Korea remains the most mysterious of all Communist countries. The acute shortage of available sources has made it a difficult subject of scholarship. Through his access to Soviet archival material made available only a decade ago, contemporary North Korean press accounts, and personal interviews, Andrei Lankov presents for the first time a detailed look at one of the turning points in North Korean history: the country's unsuccessful attempts to de-Stalinize in the mid-1950s. He demonstrates that, contrary to common perception, North Korea was not a realm of undisturbed Stalinism; Kim Il Sung had to deal with a reformist opposition that was weak but present nevertheless.

Lankov traces the impact of Soviet reforms on North Korea, placing them in the context of contemporaneous political crises in Poland and Hungary. He documents the dissent among various social groups (intellectuals, students, party cadres) and their attempts to oust Kim in the unsuccessful "August plot" of 1956. His reconstruction of the Peng-Mikoyan visit of that year--the most dramatic Sino-Soviet intervention into Pyongyang politics--shows how it helped bring an end to purges of the opposition. The purges, however, resumed in less than a year as Kim skillfully began to distance himself from both Moscow and Beijing. The final chapters of this fascinating and revealing study deal with events of the late 1950s that eventually led to Kim's version of "national Stalinism." Lankov unearths data that, for the first time, allows us to estimate the scale and character of North Korea's Great Purge.

Meticulously researched and cogently argued, Crisis in North Korea is a must-read for students and scholars of Korea and anyone interested in political leadership and personality cults, regime transition, and communist politics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A rare insight
It is unfortunate that one of the reviewers here decided to judge the merits of this book by its writing style rather than its substance. Yes, Dr. Lankov's English is not his first, nor his second language (Korean), but his third. Still, despite some shortcomings in style, Dr. Lankov's insight on North Korea is unparalleled in the modern Western study of the subject: he had an exceptional opportunity to spend several years inside North Korea as a scholar. I've read many of his articles in Russian and in English and have come to only admire his acute observational skills within a system known to be extremely hostile to any attempt to be judged or evaluated. Especially by an outsider. Kudos to Dr. Lankov.

excellent
If the reviewer above can only "guess" that the author is not a native English speaker, then he/she is obviously unfamiliar with North Korean studies, in which field the Russian-born Dr. Lankov has been the pre-eminent scholar for about a decade now. I am baffled that such a reviewer would have even bought a relatively pricey book with a subject matter like this.
In any case, the style is not difficult to read at all; Dr. Lankov is, after all, a scholar who writes very regularly for popular newspapers and magazines, and therefore knows well how to get his point across as straightforwardly as possible (and with no jargon whatsoever). His work can easily be found online, so you can confirm the smoothness of his prose for yourself, and its utter lack of pomposity, before buying the book.
On to Crisis in North Korea itself. Those with only a casual interest in North Korea might find it heavy going. For scholars, on the other hand, it is an invaluable study of what has perhaps been the most neglected period in the history of the country - the period after the Korean War and before the cultural revolution of the mid-1960s. Making the book particularly invaluable is not only the author's access to Russian-language sources, but his obvious lack of any polemic or ideological axe to grind. One comes away from the book with the realization that a lot more was going on behind the scenes than one dreamed. My only quibble is that Crisis in North Korea might have benefited from more of a definition of Stalinism/de-Stalinization etc. Dr. Lankov appears to be using it in the popular Western sense as a synonym for "totalitarianism with a personality cult" and not in the sense of a specific political ideology derived from Marxism-Leninism. (If the word were used in the latter sense, North Korea could be said to have been de-Stalinized almost as soon as the Soviets pulled their troops out!)
I can heartily recommend the book to all North Korea scholars and everyone with a serious interest in Cold War studies. Those who are new to North Korean history should first read something more general, like Dae Sook Suh's biography of Kim Il Sung or Bradley Martin's Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader, and then move on to Dr. Lankov's book about the Soviet occupation of North Korea.

Turgid and pretentious writing style
I purchased this book hoping to learn more about North Korea. Sadly the book is almost impossible to read. The author has a poor command of the English language and his pompous style makes it difficult to keep your eyes open. My guess is that the author writes in English as a second language.

I returned the book to Amazon. ... Read more

Product Description
Through travels that range from Geneva to Pyongyang, this remarkable book takes readers on an odyssey through one of the most extraordinary forgotten tragedies of the Cold War: the _return_ of over 90,000 people, most of them ethnic Koreans, from Japan to North Korea from 1959 onward. For most, their new home proved a place of poverty and hardship; for thousands, it was a place of persecution and death. In rediscovering their extraordinary personal stories, this book also casts new light on the politics of the Cold War, and on present-day tensions between North Korea and the rest of the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Departure to Oblivion
Tessa Morris-Suzuki has written a remarkable account of the various forces behind the emigration of as many as 90,000 Koreans from Japan to North Korea in the late 1950's into the 1960's.By dint of thorough research, she has shone a light on the unexpected origins of that exodus.Perhaps most Westerners who are aware of that migration know that the vast majority of the Korean "returnees" were not of northern Korean origin but from southeastern Korea or from Cheju Island.However, far fewer probably realize the tangled origins of their departure from Japan.I have worked on Korean affairs fairly steadily for much of the past thirty years and was generally familiar with the emigration story.However, I thought the movement started as a result of North Korean propagandizing among the sad and badly treated Koreans in Japan, who numbered perhaps 600,000 in 1952 when Japan regained its sovereignty through the San Francisco Treaty.

"Exodus to North Korea" shows that the impetus for emigration came not from Kim Il-Sung or from the Chosen Soren, the North Korean front organization in Japan, but from Japanese officials.Only several years later and for his own purposes did Kim Il-Sung buy into the migration idea.The author points out that one of Kim's motives was a need for laborers, including in North Korea's mines, after the 1958 withdrawal of the last Chinese People's Volunteer units.For five years after the armistice those soldiers did a lot of reconstruction work in the North.Professor Morris-Suzuki points out the irony that many of the Koreans who went to the North had been taken to Japan in the first place as conscripted miners; they would wind up being used by the North Koreans for the same kind of dangerous labor.

Professor Morris-Suzuki identifies Japanese foreign minister Mamoru Shigemitsu as one of the protagonists behind the exodus.There was no reason to expect sympathy toward Koreans of any political stripe from him.The reason he had to limp aboard the USS Missouri to sign the surrender as foreign minister in 1945 was that a Korean nationalist had blown his leg off with a bomb at a Shanghai railway station in the 1930's.(For some reason, despite all her detailed research, Professor Morris-Suzuki does not mention that factoid.)It would undoubtedly be incorrect to describe the entire Japanese motivation for the exodus as "Shigemitsu's Revenge," but the project must have given him a great deal of satisfaction.The Japanese wanted to get rid of a troublesome minority that was no longer needed or useful, people whom the Japan stripped of their colonial-era Japanese nationality as quickly as legally possible.Their existence in Japan was not only politically troublesome and a drain on the welfare budget, but also a reminder that Japan's population was not as homogeneous as the national mythology maintained.

The International Committee of the Red Cross does not come off well in this account.The Japanese Government and Red Cross and the North Koreans drew the ICRC into their ostensibly humanitarian plans.The Geneva officials, despite misgivings about Japanese motives and largely in ignorance of what awaited the Koreans who left for the North, failed in a basic duty: to satisfy themselves that each person was making an informed and willing decision to leave Japan for North Korea, a place almost none of them had ever seen.

Professor Morris-Suzuki honestly identifies gaps in her excellent work, pointing out that she had no chance to talk with returnees still in North Korea and also that she barely addresses the South Korean dimension of the story.On the first point, she is too hard on herself; it would be impossible for anyone to do. Exploring the second point may be worth another book. She did interview several returnees who managed to escape from North Korea in recent years.This book is a major contribution to understanding many of the tensions and animosities that still color relations between Japan and the two halves of the Korean Peninsula.It is a wrenching and troubling story.


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North Korea's institutional politics defy traditional political models, making the country's actions seem surprising or confusing when, in fact, they often conform to the regime's own logic. Drawing on recent materials, such as North Korean speeches, commentaries, and articles, Patrick McEachern, a specialist on North Korean affairs, reveals how the state's political institutions debate policy and inform and execute strategic-level decisions.

Many scholars dismiss Kim Jong-Il's regime as a "one-man dictatorship," calling him the "last totalitarian leader," but McEachern identifies three major institutions that help maintain regime continuity: the cabinet, the military, and the party. These groups hold different institutional policy platforms and debate high-level policy options both before and after Kim and his senior leadership make their final call.

This method of rule may challenge expectations, but North Korea does not follow a classically totalitarian, personalistic, or corporatist model. Rather than being monolithic, McEachern argues, the regime, emerging from the crises of the 1990s, rules differently today than it did under Kim's father, Kim Il Sung. The son is less powerful and pits institutions against one another in a strategy of divide and rule. His leadership is fundamentally different: it is "post-totalitarian." Authority may be centralized, but power remains diffuse. McEachern maps this process in great detail, supplying vital perspective on North Korea's reactive policy choices, which continue to bewilder the West., reviewing a previous edition or volume

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Some fifty years after war, the Korean peninsula remains divided at the 38th parallel. The end of the Cold War in 1989 brought changes to many communist states, but North Korea remains embroiled in international crises. Looking forward, North Korea seemingly faces four choices: collapse, further war, peaceful reunification with the south, or status quo.

This historical and political analysis covers the period from the division of the peninsula in 1948 to the future of North Korea beyond 2003. Topics include the Korean War, Kim Il Sung, famine, the economic collapse of the 1990s, Kim Jong Il, South Korea’s sunshine policy, nuclear ambitions, "rogue state" status, George W. Bush’s "axis of evil"remark made during his 2002 State of the Union address, and the current state of diplomatic relations. The final chapter considers the case for reconciliation. Appendix A is a chronology of the Korean Peninsula from 2333 BCE to 2003 CE. Appendix B is a directory of Korean Studies institutes and think tanks. Tables and statistics are integrated throughout the text. Reader aids accompany each chapter, including lists of further reading, key terms and questions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Interesting History, Interesting Polical Analysis
The title of this book is well chosen and its publication is very timely. North Korea is indeed facing perilous times. Then again it has in the past. From the 1950 war, the transition of power Kim Il Sung to Kim Jong Il, and the nuclear weapon agreement brokered by Jimmy Carter the recent history of North Korea has certainly been turbulent.

In more recent times, Korea has launched some very long range rockets and appears to have at least a few nuclear weapons. President Bush has identified them as a "rogue state" and part of the "axis of evil." North Korea along with Cuba remain as practictioners of the failed Communist system. These systems have proved that they can sustain huge armies, exercise strong control over their people, but also proved that centralized control of everything from farming to industrial production simply doesn't work very well. Friends of mine who recently visited North Korea report that the famine of the 1990's continues, although not as bad as it was.

A small book, at only 232 pages, it is a concise summary of the countries 4,000 year history and a political analysis of the recent past. Combined with this are several alternatives of what the future might hold. Can the status quo continue. Certainly not forever. Could the collapse of the Government bring about another war - certainly it could. The options and their likelyhood form a major part of the theme of the book, and they are carefully considered and disucssed. Excellent reading.

North Korea seemingly faces four choices
Fifty years after Korea's division the Koreans of both North and South remain at an impasse, leaving North Korea embroiled in international crises. North Korea seemingly faces four choices: collapse, more war, a continuing status quo, or peace with the south. Suk Hi Kim's North Korea At A Crossroads provides an historical and political analysis covers 1948 to modern times and is a 'must' for any college-level collection strong in modern Asian issues or non-specialist general reader wanting a competent backgrounding in contemporary American/North Korean international relations.

Great book with broad appeal
Professor Kim's writing is engaging, thorough enough for scholars and the general public alike. Readers wishing to understand the enigma of North Korea, its relationship with South Korea and the rest of the world, and where to go from here, will be pleased with this book and its measured, balanced perspective. After reading this book, you will be conversant in all the relevant topics. For those who are interested in further study, the book includes questions and study aids, as well as extensive references. Highly recommended.

Up to speed quickly
For any person wishing to understand the North Korean situation, since it has now hit the world stage, this is an excellent first place to go.It enables the reader to get up to speed quickly by first providing a potted history of the peninsular.Then political, humanitarian, and particularly economic aspects are explored in appropriate detail for a book that is easily readable.Finally, chapter 9, reasons for reconciliation, provides a constructive ending to the present dilemma.For further study, the comprehensive lists of references make it easy.

great overview and very insightful
No country is more mysterious than North Korea.After reading this short text, there is no more mystery for me.It is easy to read and understand.Even though the book's author is a finance or economics professor, and I am currently studying political science and philosophy, I still found this book to be very valuable.A great way to get up to speed. ... Read more

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An "authoritative and informative" (The Nation) primer on the countries caught in the crosshairs of the Bush administration, by three renowned experts.

Ever since the "axis of evil" label was first applied by President Bush in his 2002 State of the Union address, the hawks in his administration have left little doubt as to where they intend to turn their attention after Iraq: North Korea, Iran, and Syria. Yet most Americans know very little about these three countries beyond what the Pentagon has told them.

For those wanting to know more about "who's next," this "timely exposition on global (in)stability" (Korean Quarterly) by three leading experts on each country sets the record straight, confronting relentless fear-mongering with hard facts. The authors explore each country's history and internal politics alongside the spotty record of past U.S. interventions, including the Korean War and the CIA-sponsored overthrow of Iran's elected prime minister in 1953. As one reviewer pointed out: "The most important thing we know about Syria is that we really don't know what's going on in Syria" (Slate). While entertaining no illusions about these despotic regimes, Inventing the Axis of Evil demonstrates that the truth is far more complicated than some would have us believe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Professor Cumings' histrionic writing style ...
... gets to be rather tiresome after all too few pages. He seems to have some significant problems in suppressing his anger and his anti-American agenda almost seems to bleed through the print.

Informative but a bit emotional
This a good book to gather information and historical trends of the countries it talks about however I think the justifiably liberal point of view looses a little creditability because it gets emotional at times- sort of like it is trying to persuade me too much. I can do without the slights and overly slanted remarks. Facts reflect fact: you don't have to spin up the truth too much to get your point across. I like the book but it makes me think the author(s) might have been insiders or closely related to but for some reason now have sharp teeth and snarls about the subject. ... Read more

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In this text, Andrei Lankov traces the formation of the North Korean state and the early years of Kim Il Song's rule, when the future "Great Leader" and his entourage were nurturing their power base. ... Read more

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Since the end of World War II, the small country of North Korea has occupied a disproportionate amount of the world’s diplomatic and military attention. Its defiance of the international community has mystified and frustrated generations of leaders, both in Asia and throughout the world. With its closed borders and xenophobic leadership, little is known about North Korea's government or its intentions, leaving us to examine the words of the country's leaders and international statesmen, analysts, and journalists for a balanced, critical assessment of North Korea and its relationship to the world. The 20 categories covered here provide an overview of the breadth of issues facing the Northeast Asian country. For each quote, the speaker and his or her title are identified, along with the original source of the quotation and its context. Indexed by speaker, subject and keywords. ... Read more

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Profiled in this book are the people, places, political system, economy, ideology, and the history of North Korea. ... Read more

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As perennial famine and material shortages call into question the tenability of North Korea's military-authoritarian government, the international community has struggled to reconcile contradictory humanitarian, economic, and political goals in formulating foreign policy and aid responses to the secretive Pyongyang regime. In a historical analysis drawing heavily on primary sources, Lee attacks the problem at its root: the assumption of policy-makers that Pyongyang's belligerence and intractability is an attempt to secure autonomy and national legitimacy in the eyes of the world. Rather, Lee argues, close review of the available evidence demonstrates convincingly that forced reunification with South Korea is the only discernible goal of the Pyongyang government, and that the key strategy of the reunification program is a war of attrition against the U.S. military presence in the South. ... Read more

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It must have been a dirty job...
...but someone had to do it:this look inside North Korea is based exclusively on the writings of Kim Il-sung.This gives the book its undeniable strengths, though at the same time after 200 pages it feels like one has been trapped in the Great Leader's funhouse mirrors of lies and deceptions.A nice companion volume to other works such as Nicholas Eberstadt's "The End of North Korea" and Marcus Noland's "Avoiding the Apocalypse" which step out side the funhouse for a less distorted view. ... Read more

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He stands five foot two in stocking feet, adding two inches to his dumpy physique with elevated shoes. He has taken a country blessed with natural resources and an educated populace with a dedicated work ethic and reduced it to the level of the most abysmal third-world pesthole. He has assassinated foreign statesmen, blown up civilian airlines loaded with innocent passengers, and sold weapons to terrorists around the world. He is diverting resources that his country cannot spare to accelerate a program whereby he can become a nuclear power capable of proliferating weapons of mass destruction to terrorist groups in return for hard cash. He has surrounded himself with sycophants and toadies, lives in hedonistic luxury, and threatens his neighbors and the world with nuclear weapons. Who is this strange person? He is Kim Jong Il, aberrant ruler of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea--or North Korea.

The more we are able to crack the facade of North Korea, the more we learn of the dark, repugnant secrets that have been held close for decades. Peering through the cracks, we are able to discern an implacable hatred for America, South Korea, and other free nations. There were good and sufficient reasons for President George W. Bush to declare North Korea a charter member of the "Axis of Evil." Americans heard him and wondered: Just what is going on over there that makes it such a threat? SEPARATED AT BIRTH addresses those concerns, exploring North Korea's twentieth-century history, its separation from South Korea, as well as its place in the East and its relation to China, the U.S., and Japan. Cucullu discusses our options--both military and diplomatic-and fills in some of the gaps in our knowledge so that we can be better prepared to deal with a nation easily described as a "rogue" one.
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Customer Reviews (10)

The One Book to Read re the NORK Crisis
I picked up a copy of"Separated at Birth" this morning and finished it this evening.I've lived in Seoul since November 1994 and, as a foreign investor in Korea, have followed events here and the commentary thereon closely.This is simply the most succinctly accurate account of, and the most compelling prescription for dealing with, the challenge posed by NK, that I've read in ten years.

Preaching to the Choir
This is not a bad book.However, it could be better.

Mr. Cucullu attempts to show us how North and South Korea have developed since the end of the Korean War and looks a little into possible futures.He does an excellent job in telling the story of South Korea's transformation from an authoritarian/Third World nation into a representative democrary with a well developed economy. The good colonel peppers the standard historical run down with personal experiences while serving many years in Korea with the US Army.Making you actually feel the transformation of the Republic of Korea into a modern society is a real treat.

The author doesnt do a very good job explaining North Korea. In fact, his discussions of the DPRK are really just tirades that boil down to the fact that living in North Korea is unpleasant and the Kim regime sucks.Hey, Im on board with this.But I would like to have seen more analysis.Also, he makes a few of what I call "wild eyed" statements.First, he posits that North Korea killed prisoners in South Korean army uniforms in June 1950 to produce evidence to justify the Korean War.This is plausible, but where is the evidence?Also, he claims Kim Jong Il has taken family members of senior DPRK officials hostage to keep them in line.Again, I wouldnt be at all surprised if this were true.That said, Id like to see some proof.

One final comment.The Publishers Weekly review notes Cucullu is critical of revisionist historians but doesnt consider their arguments.The arguments of the likes of Bruce Cummings are not really worth commenting on as they have been utterly and completely refuted.Its pretty safe to assume North Korean society is dysfunctional and the Kims are horrible leaders.

North Korea's 20th century history is explored in full
With North Korea rising to become the new 'evil' in the world in its pursuit of nuclear weaponry, a book such as Gordon Cucullu's Separated At Birth becomes even more essential, providing a history of North and South Korea with a new emphasis on just how North Korean became the 'evil twin' of the two. North Korea's 20th century history is explored in full in Separated At Birth: from its initial separation from the south and changing relationships with China, Japan and the U.S. to its growing role as a nuclear force. The focus on Kim Jong-Il, ruler of North Korea, provides many condemning visions of the dictator and his approaches, but most importantly, Separated At Birth analyzes world concerns, options, and realities in working with the 'rogue' nation. Cucullu is a former Special Forces Green Beret colonel, serving over 20 years in the military in Asia: his analysis is personal - and astute.

A fascinating book of grave importance to our future.
This work by Gordon Cucullu is sure to be very valuable to those of us who follow the world situation with serious thought and, let's face it, worry!

It's a very enlightening summary of the development and present-day status of one of the world's most secretive and most disastrous areas. Such insight can only be presented by one who spent many years living and working in close proximity of the people and the events which engulfed an innocent nation in almost unimaginable calamity.

I learned a great deal from Cucullu's keen observations regarding the history, development and extensive suffering of the Korean people. It touched me very closely, because I find their fate similar in many ways to that of my native Hungary. Maybe that is another reason why I felt so sympathetic to their terrible struggle and awful situation with the communist North.

This analysis of the geopolitical importance of the North Korean threat is not only excellent, but it brings home the extremely serious nature of that threat. The danger of a maniac such as Kim Yong Il doing something totally devastating is not only very real, but even likely, if he feels threatened to the point of no return.

Cucullu's suggestions on how to deal with the threat are very serious and can have not only far-reaching, but life saving effects on the Free World. It also contains a fascinating analysis of the South Korean role in all this which, I'm sure, isvery little understood by those who aren't close to the situation. I can only hope that our present leadership will take the necessary steps in proving our country's strength, endurance, will-power and courage to face the threat posed by North Korea.

This book is a must-read for those of us who are seriously concerned with the security of our nation and the Free World.

well distilled ideas presented less skillfully
I believe the thesis and facts because the author is so evidently a straight shooter.This book is my introduction to the North/South Korea topic and I'm sure will serve as a very solid cornerstone. ... Read more

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This compelling and engaging book takes readers on a unique journey through China and North and South Korea. Tessa Morris-Suzuki travels from Harbin in the north to Busan in the south, and on to the mysterious Diamond Mountains, which lie at the heart of the Korean Peninsula's crisis. As she follows in the footsteps of a remarkable writer, artist, and feminist who traced the route a century ago_in the year when Korea became a Japanese colony_her saga reveals an unseen face of China and the two Koreas: a world of monks, missionaries, and smugglers; of royal tombs and socialist mausoleums; a world where today's ideological confrontations are infused with myth and memory. Northeast Asia is poised at a moment of profound change as the rise of China is transforming the global order and tensions run high on the Korean Peninsula, the last Cold War divide. Probing the deep past of this region, To the Diamond Mountains offers a new and unexpected perspective on its present and future. ... Read more