Korean War
Neglected Voices: The Forgotten Psychological Effects of Korean War Bombings
An exploration of the difficulty of excavating civilian voices from the carnage of the Korean War.
55 Remnants of Conflict: The Korean War Prisoners Who Chose Brazil
At the end of the Korean War, 88 North Korean and Chinese POWs decided to gamble on lives in third countries, eschewing South Korea and Taiwan. 55 were resettled in Brazil. These are their stories.
Right of Reply: Kim Jong-un’s Rejoinder to American Threats at the UN General Assembly
Pushing back against an over-reliance on personalist explanations for international conflict, Adam Cathcart retreats into history and some speculation.
Divided Peninsula, Split Personalities: A Review of Hong Sang-hwa’s “The Intelligence Agent”
In a new review for Sino-NK, Robert Lauler once again turns his attention to Korean literature centered around national division, taking a magnifying glass to The Intelligence Agent, the latest novel by Hong Sang-hwa.
Revolution and Revival: Ideology and Faith in North Korea
Today, the North Korean state has all forms of spirituality under its iron fist. But today is but a 70-year blip on the radar of history. As Christopher Richardson writes in this reprisal of a speech delivered in Sydney on June 18, Christianity won’t yield so readily.
One Year On: KBS Sends a Helicopter over the Kaesong Industrial Complex
KBS sent a helicopter to hover just inside the southern side of the North-South border and take pictures of conditions in the Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC) a year after the complex was closed. Christopher Green reproduces their photos and translates the commentary.
Occupation at the Local Level: Kim Dong-choon on Korean War Atrocities
In an extensive new review essay, Adam Cathcart offers a sweeping assessment of Kim Dong-choon’s 2009 text on the Korean War, reinvigorating debate over both Korean War history and the societal tensions that come with it.
Kim Jong-un, Jeremy Corbyn, and the Trident Debate
At a recent Parliamentary debate in London, North Korea was raised time and again as justification for the renewal of Britain’s submarine nuclear deterrent. Adam Cathcart parses what it means for the besieged opposition Labour Party, and peers into shadows of Korean War destruction for the Conservatives.
Reinterpreting the Withdrawal of Chinese Troops from North Korea, 1956-1958
Did Kim Il-sung’s nationalism force the Chinese out of North Korea in the 1950s, or was it an agreed strategy meant to bolster anti-US propaganda? This post reviews new data on a pivotal moment in Chinese-North Korean relations.
Chests Full of Brass: A DPRK Political History in Orders, Medals, Prizes, and Titles
The DPRK state structure can be hard to discern from the outside, but it is possible to structure analysis so as to dissipate the fog somewhat. Here, Martin Weiser wields the state system of awards and medals to shed light on national history.
Red Scares and History Wars: #Shigak no. 25
The latest issue of #Shigak reports on new developments and top stories in South Korea for September and October. In this issue, Park Geun-hye goes to Washington, the number of multicultural families continues to increase, and Moon Jae-in gets labeled a… communist?
