North Korea Under Communism

North Korea Under Communism

Author: Cornell Erik

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2005-07-08

Total Pages: 203

ISBN-13: 1135788227

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The former head of the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang recounts his experiences, combining descriptions of everyday life with analyses of economic, political and ideological conditions.


Book Synopsis North Korea Under Communism by : Cornell Erik

Download or read book North Korea Under Communism written by Cornell Erik and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2005-07-08 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The former head of the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang recounts his experiences, combining descriptions of everyday life with analyses of economic, political and ideological conditions.


North Korea under Communism

North Korea under Communism

Author: Cornell Erik

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2005-07-08

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 1135788219

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After the collapse of the Soviet world, North Korea alone has continued on the rigid communist way, in spite of its economic consequences leading the state beyond ruin to famine. What are the reasons behind this peculiar choice of direction? Why did the leaders in Pyongyang pursue a policy abandoned not only by the Soviet Union, but also by China and Vietnam? The author of this book spent three years as head of the embassy of Sweden in Pyongyang. Until a few years ago, it was the only Western embassy in North Korea. His unique experiences are related with descriptions of day-to-day life and with analyses of economic, political and ideological conditions. A picture is drawn of a society and a political order that defy both human nature and common sense.


Book Synopsis North Korea under Communism by : Cornell Erik

Download or read book North Korea under Communism written by Cornell Erik and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2005-07-08 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After the collapse of the Soviet world, North Korea alone has continued on the rigid communist way, in spite of its economic consequences leading the state beyond ruin to famine. What are the reasons behind this peculiar choice of direction? Why did the leaders in Pyongyang pursue a policy abandoned not only by the Soviet Union, but also by China and Vietnam? The author of this book spent three years as head of the embassy of Sweden in Pyongyang. Until a few years ago, it was the only Western embassy in North Korea. His unique experiences are related with descriptions of day-to-day life and with analyses of economic, political and ideological conditions. A picture is drawn of a society and a political order that defy both human nature and common sense.


North Korea Under Communism

North Korea Under Communism

Author: Erik Cornell

Publisher: Psychology Press

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 9780700716975

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The former head of the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang recounts his experiences, combining descriptions of everyday life with analyses of economic, political and ideological conditions.


Book Synopsis North Korea Under Communism by : Erik Cornell

Download or read book North Korea Under Communism written by Erik Cornell and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The former head of the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang recounts his experiences, combining descriptions of everyday life with analyses of economic, political and ideological conditions.


The North Korean Revolution, 1945–1950

The North Korean Revolution, 1945–1950

Author: Charles K. Armstrong

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2013-05-15

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0801468795

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North Korea, despite a shattered economy and a populace suffering from widespread hunger, has outlived repeated forecasts of its imminent demise. Charles K. Armstrong contends that a major source of North Korea's strength and resiliency, as well as of its flaws and shortcomings, lies in the poorly understood origins of its system of government. He examines the genesis of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) both as an important yet rarely studied example of a communist state and as part of modern Korean history.North Korea is one of the last redoubts of "unreformed" Marxism-Leninism in the world. Yet it is not a Soviet satellite in the East European manner, nor is its government the result of a local revolution, as in Cuba and Vietnam. Instead, the DPRK represents a unique "indigenization" of Soviet Stalinism, Armstrong finds. The system that formed under the umbrella of the Soviet occupation quickly developed into a nationalist regime as programs initiated from above merged with distinctive local conditions. Armstrong's account is based on long-classified documents captured by U.S. forces during the Korean War. This enormous archive of over 1.6 million pages provides unprecedented insight into the making of the Pyongyang regime and fuels the author's argument that the North Korean state is likely to remain viable for some years to come.


Book Synopsis The North Korean Revolution, 1945–1950 by : Charles K. Armstrong

Download or read book The North Korean Revolution, 1945–1950 written by Charles K. Armstrong and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2013-05-15 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: North Korea, despite a shattered economy and a populace suffering from widespread hunger, has outlived repeated forecasts of its imminent demise. Charles K. Armstrong contends that a major source of North Korea's strength and resiliency, as well as of its flaws and shortcomings, lies in the poorly understood origins of its system of government. He examines the genesis of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) both as an important yet rarely studied example of a communist state and as part of modern Korean history.North Korea is one of the last redoubts of "unreformed" Marxism-Leninism in the world. Yet it is not a Soviet satellite in the East European manner, nor is its government the result of a local revolution, as in Cuba and Vietnam. Instead, the DPRK represents a unique "indigenization" of Soviet Stalinism, Armstrong finds. The system that formed under the umbrella of the Soviet occupation quickly developed into a nationalist regime as programs initiated from above merged with distinctive local conditions. Armstrong's account is based on long-classified documents captured by U.S. forces during the Korean War. This enormous archive of over 1.6 million pages provides unprecedented insight into the making of the Pyongyang regime and fuels the author's argument that the North Korean state is likely to remain viable for some years to come.


Kim Il Sung in the Khrushchev Era

Kim Il Sung in the Khrushchev Era

Author: Balázs Szalontai

Publisher: Stanford University Press

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 388

ISBN-13: 9780804753227

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Concentrating on the years 1953-64, this history describes how North Korea became more despotic even as other Communist countries underwent de-Stalinization. The author’s principal new source is the Hungarian diplomatic archives, which contain extensive reporting on Kim Il Sung and North Korea, thoroughly informed by research on the period in the Soviet and Eastern European archives and by recently published scholarship. Much of the story surrounds Kim Il Sung: his Korean nationalism and eagerness for Korean autarky; his efforts to balance the need for foreign aid and his hope for an independent foreign policy; and what seems to be his good sense of timing in doing in internal rivals without attracting Soviet retaliation. Through a series of comparisons not only with the USSR but also with Albania, Romania, Yugoslavia, China, and Vietnam, the author highlights unique features of North Korean communism during the period. Szalontai covers ongoing effects of Japanese colonization, the experiences of diverse Korean factions during World War II, and the weakness of the Communist Party in South Korea.


Book Synopsis Kim Il Sung in the Khrushchev Era by : Balázs Szalontai

Download or read book Kim Il Sung in the Khrushchev Era written by Balázs Szalontai and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Concentrating on the years 1953-64, this history describes how North Korea became more despotic even as other Communist countries underwent de-Stalinization. The author’s principal new source is the Hungarian diplomatic archives, which contain extensive reporting on Kim Il Sung and North Korea, thoroughly informed by research on the period in the Soviet and Eastern European archives and by recently published scholarship. Much of the story surrounds Kim Il Sung: his Korean nationalism and eagerness for Korean autarky; his efforts to balance the need for foreign aid and his hope for an independent foreign policy; and what seems to be his good sense of timing in doing in internal rivals without attracting Soviet retaliation. Through a series of comparisons not only with the USSR but also with Albania, Romania, Yugoslavia, China, and Vietnam, the author highlights unique features of North Korean communism during the period. Szalontai covers ongoing effects of Japanese colonization, the experiences of diverse Korean factions during World War II, and the weakness of the Communist Party in South Korea.


Crisis in North Korea

Crisis in North Korea

Author: Andrei Lankov

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 2007-05-31

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 0824832078

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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.


Book Synopsis Crisis in North Korea by : Andrei Lankov

Download or read book Crisis in North Korea written by Andrei Lankov and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2007-05-31 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.


North Korea

North Korea

Author: United States. Department of State

Publisher:

Published: 1961

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13:

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Findings of a State Dept. Mission which examined the manner and degree of success of USSR control over North Korean and the ability of North Korea to promote political stability, economic growth, and military strength. Findings are based on interrogations conducted in North Korea of former North Korean government and part officials, farmers, and other private individuals.


Book Synopsis North Korea by : United States. Department of State

Download or read book North Korea written by United States. Department of State and published by . This book was released on 1961 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Findings of a State Dept. Mission which examined the manner and degree of success of USSR control over North Korean and the ability of North Korea to promote political stability, economic growth, and military strength. Findings are based on interrogations conducted in North Korea of former North Korean government and part officials, farmers, and other private individuals.


The Real North Korea

The Real North Korea

Author: Andrei Lankov

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 350

ISBN-13: 0199390037

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In The Real North Korea, Lankov substitutes cold, clear analysis for the overheated rhetoric surrounding this opaque police state. Based on vast expertise, this book reveals how average North Koreans live, how their leaders rule, and how both survive


Book Synopsis The Real North Korea by : Andrei Lankov

Download or read book The Real North Korea written by Andrei Lankov and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2015 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Real North Korea, Lankov substitutes cold, clear analysis for the overheated rhetoric surrounding this opaque police state. Based on vast expertise, this book reveals how average North Koreans live, how their leaders rule, and how both survive


Communism in Korea

Communism in Korea

Author: Robert A. Scalapino

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 1972-01-01

Total Pages: 868

ISBN-13: 9780520022744

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Book Synopsis Communism in Korea by : Robert A. Scalapino

Download or read book Communism in Korea written by Robert A. Scalapino and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1972-01-01 with total page 868 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


North Korea

North Korea

Author: Hy-Sang Lee

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2000-11-30

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 0313086265

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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. Lee begins with a summary history, and moves on to examine the formation of the North Korean communist state in the wake of World War II. The implementation of state programs in the 1950s and 1960s follows, including the drive towards industrialization, the emergence of the Juche ideology, and collectivization of agriculture. Remaining chapters focus on the recent history of North Korea, and offer concluding analysis and remarks.


Book Synopsis North Korea by : Hy-Sang Lee

Download or read book North Korea written by Hy-Sang Lee and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2000-11-30 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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. Lee begins with a summary history, and moves on to examine the formation of the North Korean communist state in the wake of World War II. The implementation of state programs in the 1950s and 1960s follows, including the drive towards industrialization, the emergence of the Juche ideology, and collectivization of agriculture. Remaining chapters focus on the recent history of North Korea, and offer concluding analysis and remarks.