About the author
More articles by 'Andrei Lankov'
Why North Korea is so corrupt, and why that may be good
Official willingness to take bribes and ignore regulations has saved lives, but may present obstacles for reform
Last of its kind: The Workers’ Party of Korea keeps the Leninist model alive
In North Korea, like its Leninist/Stalinist forbearers, the party is designed to encompass all authority
The hidden meaning of August’s inter-Korean ‘crisis’
Haste with which North Korea sought meeting with the South tells us something – or does it?
Korean unification(s) – The past and prospects for family reunions
Emotionally charged issue may be a short-lived one given the ages of those separated by North-South divide
N. Korea’s quiet market reforms
Pyongyang continues to carry out small-scale changes, but good luck finding official statements on them
North Korea’s markets: A brief history of crackdowns and tolerance
Technically illegal, occasionally persecuted – yet underground economic activity constitutes a huge share of GDP
Over the border: What Dandong means to N. Korea
‘Unremarkable’ Chinese city holds historical and present-day significance for its neighbors
The bustling North Korean consumer goods market
Far from impoverished, Northerners’ ownership of TVs and home phones continues accelerating
Critique, but don’t dismiss, N. Korean refugee testimony
Past treatment of Soviet, Cambodian atrocity survivors highlights dangers of disregarding defector's stories