Best of frenemies: Soviet perceptions of North Korea in the 1970s



Features Best of frenemies: Soviet perceptions of North Korea in the 1970s Pyongyang showed little gratitude for Soviet assistance, yet Moscow couldn't afford to abandon the relationship Andrei Lankov December 31, 2019 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON The Great Leader, Comrade Kim Il Sung - Colin J - CC BY-SA 2.0 Back in the 1970s, Western media habitually described North Korea as a ‘fellow communist state’ of the Soviet Union. Of course, observers were aware that actual relations between Moscow and Pyongyang were complicated, but this did not necessarily register with the general public. Back in the 1970s, Western media habitually described North Korea as a ‘fellow communist state’ of the Soviet Union. Of course, observers were aware that actual relations between Moscow and Pyongyang were complicated, but this did not necessarily register with the general public. Become a member for less than $5.75 per week. Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

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Best of frenemies: Soviet perceptions of North Korea in the 1970s

Pyongyang showed little gratitude for Soviet assistance, yet Moscow couldn't afford to abandon the relationship

Andrei Lankov December 31, 2019

Best of frenemies: Soviet perceptions of North Korea in the 1970s

The Great Leader, Comrade Kim Il Sung - Colin J - CC BY-SA 2.0

Back in the 1970s, Western media habitually described North Korea as a ‘fellow communist state’ of the Soviet Union.

Of course, observers were aware that actual relations between Moscow and Pyongyang were complicated, but this did not necessarily register with the general public.

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Andrei Lankov

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