The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia. By Andrei Lankov. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. xv, 283 pp [ISBN 9780199964291]

Abstract

Over the years, Andrei N. Lankov has become firmly established in English-language academia as a preeminent scholar of North Korea, matched only by few in his breadth of knowledge, linguistic fluency, and prolific research contributions. It would be no surprise, then, if his 2013 The Real North Korea becomes one of the most informative and useful guidelines available over the coming years not only for non-specialist readers interested in North Korea, but also for dedicated researchers of modern Korean history and society. Divided into six chapters which chronicle the history of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and lay out some possible political measures for the present along with future scenarios, The Real North Korea sets out to explain “the inner logic of North Korean behavior” stemming from “long-term developments” in North Korean society (xii). The book’s discussion of “ways to mitigate the problems and control the damage” on the divided Korean Peninsula (xiv) may also be a useful reference for those interested in contemplating North Korea’s future. Such potential contributions notwithstanding, the book is fraught with