North Korea: Tame or Destroy?

Methodology and Conclusions

In his book, Andrei Lankov masterfully combines historical analysis, deep knowledge of Korean culture and political reality with vivid eyewitness accounts and his own observations accumulated over years of studying North Korea. The author draws on archival materials, defectors’ memoirs, diplomatic documents, and rare publications to construct a multilayered picture of the North Korean regime’s evolution. Lankov does not limit himself to a dry presentation of facts—he skillfully weaves into the narrative the nuances of daily life, the psychology of fear and hope that permeates North Korean society. His conclusions are restrained yet inexorable: attempts to «tame» Pyongyang prove futile, while a strategy of «destruction» threatens catastrophic consequences for the region. Lankov asserts that North Korea is not an anomaly, but a natural product of historical and political circumstances, and that any change is possible only through gradual engagement with the world, not through isolation or force. This approach allows readers not only to understand the logic of North Korean power, but also to see behind the regime’s facade the real people whose lives are intertwined with the country’s history.