North of the DMZ: Essays on Daily Life in North Korea

North of the DMZ: Essays on Daily Life in North Korea

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 Ilâ€™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 citizensâ€™ 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 workersâ€™ 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.
Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.
Country USA
Manufacturer McFarland
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2014-01-10
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	McFarland
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2014-01-10
Format	Kindle eBook

North of the DMZ: Essays on Daily Life in North Korea

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