Andrei Lankov is a leading expert on North Korea, teaching history at Kookmin University in Seoul. His academic background includes studies at Leningrad State University and an exchange program at Pyongyang Kim Il-sung University. Lankov provides deep insights into the complex realities of the totalitarian state.
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.
The book explores the enduring rule of the Kim dynasty in North Korea, highlighting the oppressive environment shaped by Stalinist principles. Amidst the manipulation and brutality of Kim Jong Il's regime, it reveals how some citizens navigate and resist the harsh realities of life under strict social control, finding ways to assert their humanity and agency.