North Korea: Yesterday and Today

Book Review

Andrei Lankov's «North Korea: Yesterday and Today» is not just an analytical work, but a heartfelt journey into the very essence of a mysterious country where past and present are tightly bound in a knot of contradictions. The author, with a rare ability to see the living fabric of human destinies behind dry facts, masterfully reveals the mechanisms of North Korean society, its historical roots, and modern transformations. Lankov writes with restraint but with the inner passion of a researcher, avoiding sensationalism and instead offering the reader a thoughtful and honest look at a country so often discussed yet so little understood. Critics note that the book stands out for its clarity, depth of analysis, and respect for the material, as well as the author's ability to avoid one-sided judgments, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions. This work has become a kind of guide through the labyrinths of North Korean reality, where behind official slogans and myths emerges a complex, contradictory, and in its own way tragic human story.