About the author
More articles by 'Andrei Lankov'
Why sanctions won’t turn North Koreans against Kim Jong Un any time soon
The country’s elite have too much to lose, and the common people are too repressed, for an uprising to be feasible
What the U.S. killing of Iran’s top general means for North Korea
The death of Qassem Soleimani has likely shocked many in Pyongyang — and highlighted Trump's dangerous unpredictability
An honest new year statement from North Korea: denuclearization isn’t happening
Pyongyang wants to negotiate arms control and non-proliferation, but not the full surrender of their nuclear weapons
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
The left is right: why South Korea should continue its policy of engagement
Progressives may be naïve about North Korea, but conservative policies will likely only lead to increasing tensions
Brace yourselves: why North Korea is ready to turn up the tensions in 2020
With little progress in diplomacy, expect Pyongyang to return to a familiar playbook
Why, when North Korea misbehaves, the South can’t help but turn the other cheek
The current administration is wedded to a good-will policy — and Pyongyang is happy to exploit it
Bow to the leader: a history of North Korea’s iconic and ubiquitous Kim statues
Statues began being erected in the late 1960s, and continue to be sites of mandatory pilgrimage to this day
Why it’s time to drop unrealistic hopes for North Korean denuclearization
The unshakable commitment to an unachievable goal is stymying any chance of actually curbing the threat from Pyongyang
How North Korea’s devastating famine subverted the rigid “songbun” system
Many were able to use their foreign connections to start illegal, but profitable, cross-border businesses
