BOOK REVIEW: Routledge Handbook of Contemporary North Korea

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, (DPRK) or North Korea, has remained an intense mystery for decades due to its characteristic information control, the illicit activities of the Kim regime, and the consequent U.S. sanctions. This inevitably isolated the state (Bang 2020, 9–10; Frank 2018, 5–12) and won it the title of “The Hermit Kingdom” (Kim 2016, 130). This mystery has given rise to many unclear, and consequently biased, speculations about North Korea (Buzo 2021, 1; Ganeshpandian 2021, 31, 34). Some scholars contend that North Korea is the only remnant of a classic totalitarian state of the Cold War era, if slightly digressing from totalitarian norms (Lee 2019, 6), while others claim that it has degenerated to a shadow of its former self (Koo, Choi and Kim 2016, 211–231). Debates also surround the impending collapse of the Kims-led North Korea and its global repercussions (Cha 2002, 89–107). At this juncture, Buzo's 2021 edited volume under review here offers a scholarly, unbiased perspective into North Korea, ranging from domestic politics to its position as a global threat, situating it within the scholarly discussions as well as demarking its place in contemporary global affairs.

Buzo (2021, 1–3) introduces the work by indicating the intricately interlinked nature of the issues of North Korea, and the consequent need to study the broader narrative surrounding the state. He contends that the view of the unchanging nature of North Korea must be challenged, taking into account the vibrant and creative manner in which daily lives exist in North Korea, despite the suppressive regime (Buzo 2021, 8).

The first part presents three chapters by Balázs Szalontai (14–21), Andrei Lankov (24–37), and Rüdiger Frank (62–83), discussing the political structure of North Korea from 1945 to contemporary times. Shalontai's discussion of the role of the Soviet ideas and ideology and the swiftly quelled opposition to the first Kim during North Korea's initial days and Frank's engaging analysis of Kim Jong-Un's revival of politico-economic practices score highly among the key contributions of this section.

Part II consists of contributions by Peter Ward (85–99), Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein (116–118), and Justin Hastings (130–140), concerning the economic structure and progress in North Korea. Ward gives a detailed description of the economic planning in North Korea, while Silberstein tackles the question of entitlement to scarce food. Both are aptly placed for the effective understanding of the economic issues in DPRK. Hastings offers a detailed analysis of North Korea's engagement with the international economy through a combination of legal loopholes and illegal non-state actors, throwing light on the survival of this state mired in poverty resulting largely from international sanctions.

Part three of Buzo's (2021) edited volume comprises five chapters written by Adam Cathcart and Yujin Lim, Shane Smith, Leszek Buszynski, Anthony V. Rinna, and Adrian Buzo. Each discusses the foreign relations of North Korea with China, Russia, and the United States, respectively. A strong focus is placed on the nuclear growth and diplomacy of North Korea, with Smith's (163–170) description of a coherent nuclear strategy pursued by North Korea serving as a key to understanding the hidden nuances of the state's illicit nuclear program. Buszynski (174–187) further adds to this narrative by describing the nuclear diplomacy pursued by North Korea in its interactions with the international arena.

The fourth part has four contributions from Sandra Fahy, Seokhyang Kim, Miju Kim, and Sheena Chestnut Greitens who discuss the social structure and dimensions of North Korea within and outside the state. Fahy's (225–232) analysis of the events commonly categorized as the repressive methods of the Kim regime from the vantage of global human rights violations. S. Kim (241–246) explores the existence and treatment of an inverted minority in North Korea, M. Kim (249–254) analyzes child labor in the state, and Greitens attempts to place the emigrants of North Korea in the context of a diasporic population. These three chapters are exceptional contributions of this section. The chapters in this part attempt to portray the forces that define the daily lives of the North Korean subjects, caught between individual and normal social aspirations and a repressive, corrupt regime. The final part, with three chapters written by Keith Howard, Alek Sigley, and Tatiana Gabroussenko, forms an interesting and innovative addition to the work, discussing the culture of the North Koreans as expressed in art and literature, colored by a mandated devotion to the Kim rulers.

This volume successfully spearheads a broad and comprehensive understanding of the mysterious state of North Korea. The discussions place North Korea at the confluence of historical decisions and its repercussions that afflict the lives of its population. The narratives of the contributors shed additional light on various aspects of the state and the scholarly debates surrounding it, adding a wholistic, pioneering quality to the Handbook. The work also—and usefully for scholars of international relations and world affairs more generally—seeks to place North Korea in a broader picture of the international arena, amidst the changing nature of the global order and the disintegrating conventionality of DPRK.

The discussion on the internal rivalry of Kim Il-Sung's rule is particularly noteworthy for deconstructing the ‘alien’ or ‘mysterious’ nature of DPRK by tracing its degeneration into its totalitarianism. The analysis of the failing economy of the state further helps readers to understand the intricacies surrounding the poverty in, and poor economic prospects of, the country. This smoothly transits into a discussion of the social structure of DPRK (equipped with its own set of elites and untouchables), the harsh outcomes of which drive many to seek better prospects outside the country. Questions surrounding an emergent North Korean diaspora bring to light the insecurities and chinks in the fortified political structure of the Kim regime, while simultaneously indicating the international arena's lack of enthusiasm to conclude the degeneration of a nation, the erosion of its skeletal economy, and its prophetic calamity that would ripple across the globe—should DPRK collapse under the weight of its failing political and economic mechanisms. Most importantly, Buzo's (2021) edited work seeks to underline the human quality of those living inside North Korea, compelling the reader to look beyond the aggressive soldier and the constant nuclear tests, to the people with their beliefs, hopes, fears, and aspirations, that make up a major portion of the society of DPRK. Of note here, concerning the cultural aspects of the country that have a bearing on careful study, is the concluding part of this volume, which indicates the evolution of artistic narration in DPRK. The devotion to the Kim rulers expressed in DPRK's films and literature is often taken for granted as the product of the oppressive regime by authors like Martin (2004, 15–17). The final part of Buzo's (2021) edited book describes the growth and trends of this artistic culture in DPRK, deeply embedded in the minds and culture of the society from the grassroots upward. In particular, this part acts as a pointer to much-needed future research on DPRK's state and society based on its arts.

Another noteworthy aspect of this book concerns its subtle analysis of the implications of the seventh WPK Congress held in 2016. The analysis of this Congress is well-woven into the general narrative—which is exceptional throughout for its coherence and lithe transitions within and between the chapters. The lack of jargon and well-written contributions also makes it an appealing and enjoyable read for a wider audience beyond the academic community.

Despite these merits, several shortcomings of this work should be taken into account. The seventh WPK Congress is of utmost importance in understanding the current political, economic, and social narrative(s) prevalent in North Korea. It also serves as a window into the administration of the new leader of DPRK. Under such circumstances, the literature on North Korea barely acknowledges this momentous political event (Fifield 2019, 212–213; Lee 2019, 71). The dedication of a separate chapter's worth of analysis to this event would have served to emphasize the import of this event, momentous in the case of a closed state like DPRK, further adding significantly to the scholarly literature. Future works of this nature should also include a discussion on the eighth WPK Congress of DPRK in 2021 in order to cover the only credible political gathering in DPRK.

Another place in which the volume lacks depth concerns a discussion of the health infrastructure prevalent in North Korea. While a mention of the COVID-19 pandemic is made (Buzo 2021, 212) a more substantial discussion of the health infrastructure in the impoverished state and its impact on North Korean society would have been a welcome and weighty contribution. This would further throw light on humanitarian aid to North Korea, and the international actors who had sought to aid the DPRK subjects in this regard as it remains a very under-explored area in existing literature.

Buzo's (2021) volume also does not evaluate the relationship of North Korea with international players other than the United States, China, and Russia. The few references to Japan and South Korea are of a passing nature. Readers should thus be encouraged to supplement the Handbook with McEachern’s (2010, 175–219) work which contributes to the literature in this regard. However, a more detailed and updated contemporary approach would prove invaluable to future research in this direction—particularly given the lack of focus on other emerging powers in the international relations of DPRK, hitherto scantly addressed in any scholarly literature, including the volume under review here. In fact, the lack of robust treatment of the role of international non-state actors like the United Nations somewhat overlooks (even downplays) the major role of these actors and their sanctions on North Korea. This further limits the reader's understanding of the retaliatory and aggressive stance pursued by DPRK.

Those wishing to deepen their knowledge of the contemporary nuances of politics and political framework in North Korea would also be advised to add additional reading to Buzo's volume augmenting it, for example, with conclusions ranging from a diluted totalitarianism (Armstrong 2005, 383–394; Lee 2019, 6–19) to a familial dynasty (Mastro 2020, 103–124). A more detailed set of discussions in Buzo's Handbook here would have cemented its contemporary political relevance while also complimenting its confluence of history, theory, and practice.

Finally, while the editor puts forth the conviction of a steadily approaching change in DPRK, an analysis of the preparedness of the international community, particularly regarding the United States, China, and Russia, to tackle the crisis would have proven valuable to students of North Korea. While such analyses are the subject of several scholarly works (see, for example, Grice 2017, 1–31; Lee 2019, 250–262), the most recent global and internal developments of DPRK and their implications must still be drawn from elsewhere.

Nevertheless, these shortcomings do little to detract from the excellent contribution made by Buzo's (2021) edited Handbook to the literature on North Korea. As it stands, it proves highly instructive to students and scholars interested in the unfolding crisis of DPRK, with a wealth of information, analytic detail, critical perspectives, and cultural/historical context for the more seasoned researcher. This work would also aid policy makers engaging with North Korea to understand the country more fully as a nation with its aspirations and fears, in place of resting on too-frequent caricatures involving rogue actors with illicit dealings. Taken together, its many chapters express a human tone that also could serve to flesh out further the partial perspectives of some North Korean scholars. It would also hold the interest of any eager enthusiast of North Korea within and outside of academia. In this regard, this work makes a strong contribution in the literature on North Korea and is likely to do so for years to come.