Andrei Lankov has gone where few foreigners have ventured. As a native of the former Soviet Union, he lived as an exchange student in North Korea during the 1980s and has studied the country throughout his career, using his fluent knowledge of the Korean language and personal contacts to gain a rich and in-depth understanding.

In his book "The Real North Korea," Lankov provides a cold and clear analysis instead of the excessive rhetoric surrounding this opaque state. After providing an accessible history of the country, he focuses on what North Korea is, what its leadership thinks, and how its citizens manage to live in such an oppressive and impoverished environment. He argues that North Korea is not elusive, and nothing demonstrates this truth better than its survival against all odds.

As a living political fossil, the regime attempts to survive despite its limited resources and "lively" economy, manipulating major powers despite its weakness. Its leaders are not ideological zealots or madmen, but perhaps the best exponents of Machiavellian politics in the modern world. Despite presiding over a failed state entity, they have successfully used diplomacy, including nuclear threats, to garner support from other countries. However, Lankov warns that this situation cannot continue indefinitely, as the old system gradually collapses. In the long-term future, with or without reforms, the regime is unsustainable.

Lankov argues that reforms, if attempted, will cause a dramatic explosion of the regime and will not extend its existence. Based on extensive experience, this book reveals how average North Koreans live, how their leaders govern, and how both survive.

Pages: 336, Dimensions: 15.2x15.2cm