NK Leadership
Hagiography of the Kims & the Childhood of Saints: Kim Il-sung
In this essay Christopher Richardson explores the childhood hagiography of Kim Il-sung, “the master narrative from which all others derive,” and in so doing locates the origins of regime durability and state legitimacy.
“The Interview” Enveloped in Storm of Netizen Criticism
“The Interview” has been met in South Korea with strident criticism for lampooning elements of Korean culture, with some netizens accusing producer Sony of deliberately seeking to undermine Korean claims to the Dokdo islets and the naming of the East Sea/Sea of Japan. Christopher Green translates.
Boondoggle on the Yalu: China’s Useless New Bridge to North Korea
A huge new piece of bilateral infrastructure on the Sino-North Korean frontier is to remain unopened for the foreseeable future. Sino-NK provides Chinese context to the news.
Communist Normalcy: How Authoritarian Leaders Disappear and Return
Kim Jong-un has now made a handful of public appearances since ending his 40+ days out of the public eye, and it appears clear that the young leader’s health was a major cause of his absence. This came as no surprise to analyst Nick Miller.
Purges, Promotions, and Foreign Policy: Lessons from Kim Il-Sung
Using recent power shuffles in the Pyongyang security elite as a backdrop, this essay investigates the peculiar roots and practices of North Korean purges.
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