The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future

from TheAmpersand

I'll admit to having something of a fascination with North Korea, surely one of the planet's strangest, most awful places. I've read Barbara Demmick's "Nothing to Envy" and B.R. Meyers's "The Cleanest Race," and while Victor Cha's "The Impossible State" is wonkier than those two volumes, it's may...

from sdubois

A fascinating look at the history of North Korea and diplomacy efforts over the years by the U.S. and other countries like China and Russia. When I hear a news story about NK--e.g. about their nuclear efforts and/or testing, or about human rights issues or religious persecution (nothing ever good...

from mdubois

An excellent overview on North Korea through the initial reign of Kim Jong-un. Victor Cha was the National Security Council adviser in multiple administrations responsible for Asia, with his primary "time-suck" being North Korea from the late 1990's-2007. Cha does a good job describing the modern...

from LisaMaria_C

I found few books on North Korea in the rather large two-floor Barnes and Noble store in my neighborhood, and this was the only one in the Current Affairs section. So this definitely fills a need, all the more given how much North Korea is currently in the news. Cha says his purpose in the book w...

from ben_a

Thorough, sober, but not crackling. The mere facts of North Korean history are amazing. No matter how bad you think it is, it's worse. I confess I was unaware that the DPRK made three separate attempts to assassinate the Prime Minster of South Korea. That's crazy! The gems here are Cha's inside v...