Andrei Lankov est un expert de premier plan sur la Corée du Nord, enseignant l'histoire à la Kookmin University de Séoul. Son parcours académique comprend des études à l'Université d'État de Leningrad et un programme d'échange à l'Université Kim Il-sung de Pyongyang. Lankov offre des perspectives approfondies sur les réalités complexes de cet État totalitaire.
In The Real North Korea, Lankov substitutes cold, clear analysis for the overheated rhetoric surrounding this opaque police state. Based on vast expertise, this book reveals how average North Koreans live, how their leaders rule, and how both survive.
The book explores the enduring rule of the Kim dynasty in North Korea, highlighting the oppressive environment shaped by Stalinist principles. Amidst the manipulation and brutality of Kim Jong Il's regime, it reveals how some citizens navigate and resist the harsh realities of life under strict social control, finding ways to assert their humanity and agency.