Featuring contributions by some of the leading experts in Korean studies, this book examines the political content of Kim Jong-Il's regime maintenance, including both the domestic strategy for regime survival and North Korea's foreign relations with South Korea, Russia, China, Japan, and the United States. It considers how and why the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) became a "hermit kingdom" in the name of Juche (self-reliance) ideology, and the potential for the barriers of isolationism to endure. This up-to-date analysis of the DPRK's domestic and external policy linkages also includes a discussion of the ongoing North Korean nuclear standoff in the region.
Reviews
"This work is indispensable reading to understand the North Korea of today and tomorrow. The book covers the political regime of Kim Jong-Il and provides in-depth analyses of economic failures and future reforms. Experts in the field of security studies discuss in detail past negotiations to dissuade North Korea from manufacturing the weapons of mass destruction and examine future alternative courses. It is an outstanding scholarly work." - Dae-Sook Suh, University of California, Los Angeles "This is a useful addition to the literature on North Korea, reflecting a wide range of differing viewpoints on a well-chosen array of issues. With its comprehensive statistical tables, it will be a valuable reference source for specialists, and the general reader interested in East Asia will find many of its essays informative." - Selig S. Harrison, author of Korea Endgame: A Strategy for Reunification and U.S. Disengagement"



Book Information
ISBN 9780765616395
Author Young Whan Kihl
Format Paperback
Page Count 336
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 476g