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The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

SCMP
Asia

The Korea Times

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Columnists

Andrei Lankov

Media-spawned scare

Pyongyang once again has the world’s attention and the North Korean leaders are clearly enjoying their recent experience. If we need any more proof that the North is remarkably adept at manipulating the world media, we could not find better than the events of the last few weeks.

2013-04-21 17:32

Behind N. Korea's rhetoric

Over the last month, the world media has again begun to write about “growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.” Some have gone even so far as to hint that a new Korean War could be on the way. When Pyongyang promises to make Seoul a “sea of fire,” there is little wonder that such statements are relatively common.

2013-04-07 17:07

On Sino-Korean border

I spent the last two weeks of February in China, travelling along the Sino-North Korean border. I have not been to the area for four years, and of course, it has changed quite a bit - and it seems that the most significant of all changes have occurred on the border itself.

2013-03-24 17:03

Marriage in N. Korea

People marry ― most do, anyway. The institution of marriage has gone through numerous transformations, but overall it has been one of the most stable features of human society.

2013-03-10 17:07

Ritual sanctions

It would be an exaggeration to say that North Korea’s third nuclear test came out of the blue. It is well known that nuclear tests go well with missile launches in Pyongyang’s milieu. After the successful (the first successful) test of a long-range missile in December the nuclear test followed soon.

2013-02-24 17:18

Where have all dissenters gone?

It was just another research interview of the type I have experienced more or less every week for years.

2013-02-11 16:48

Tech fetishism in N. Korea

A few weeks ago, I witnessed a discussion between a prominent historian and a young leftist with moderate pro-North Korean sympathies.

2013-01-27 16:58

Sad truth about N. Korean missiles

The political dust, which was created by North Korea’s successful rocket launch is beginning to settle. Predictably, there has been the usual amount of tough talk from Seoul, Washington and Tokyo as well as the somewhat half-hearted and muted condemnation from Moscow and Beijing.

2013-01-13 16:55

A bumpy road ahead for Park

The presidential elections ended with the narrow victory of Park Geun-hye, leader of South Korea’s moderate right.

2012-12-30 16:32

Disappearance of generals

The picture is still probably fresh in our readers’ memory: Pyongyang, December 2011. A large black hearse with the coffin of the recently departed Marshall Kim Jong-il slowly moves through the streets of the North Korean capital. Eight people are walking alongside side it _ four uniformed military commanders on the left and four top civilian bureaucrats on the right, with Kim Jong-un (yet to be seen wearing a military uniform) at the head of the civilian line.

2012-12-16 17:15

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