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Mon, October 23, 2017 | 02:19

Opinion > Columnists > Andrei Lankov >

Enjoying the life of privilege

As reported by the international media, Kim Jong-chul, the older brother of North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un, has been spotted once again at an Eric Clapton concert, this time in London.

Andrei Lankov | 2015-05-31 17:12

One giant leap for proliferation

So, it has happened: the KCNA reported that the North Korean navy has successfully tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). The launch took place in the vicinity of the Sinpo Naval base, located on North Korea’s Eastern coast, and the Supreme Leader honoured the event with his august presence.

Andrei Lankov | 2015-05-17 17:03

To live and die in Paris

Paris, the “city of light,” is a major hotspot for the rich and famous, ambitious and talented, and has been for centuries. It seems that even the members of North Korea’s ruling dynasty - the ostensibly communist/national Kim family - have not been able to resist the temptations of this great city.

Andrei Lankov | 2015-05-03 16:58

North Korea is no Iran

People are once again talking about nuclear weapons, and we all know why: the Iranian deal. Right now, there is much talk about whether the Iranian deal will become a prototype for a similar deal between the United States and North Korea.

Andrei Lankov | 2015-04-19 17:01

Why defectors head south

In January this year, the South Korean Ministry of Unification released statistics for the number of refugees who had arrived from the North in the past year. As was widely expected, the figure was slightly down in 2014: there were 1,514 arrivals in 2013, while 1,396 came last year.

Andrei Lankov | 2015-04-05 17:02

Starts rise and fall in N. Korea

The three years of Kim Jong-un's reign in North Korea have been marked by a number of unusual features and strange moves.

Andrei Lankov | 2015-03-22 17:02

Being thirsty in N. Korea

North Koreans drink, like humans do. No, I am not talking about intoxicating liquids here, though the addiction to booze might be as old as humankind itself. Rather, I am talking about drinks that we drink to quench our thirst.

Andrei Lankov | 2015-03-08 17:19

The sorry tale of the divided families

According to official statistics produced by the Ministry of Unification, as of June 30, there were 129,553 South Koreans registered as members of divided families. This is an official status and it means that the registered person is eligible to apply for a family reunion with their relatives in the North. Such reunions are not easy to arrange, for most people the chances of actually meeting their family members is slim.

Andrei Lankov | 2015-02-22 16:58

The gamble of the young marshal

News coming from North Korea seems to indicate that Kim Jong-un is seriously contemplating market-oriented reforms in North Korea - doing something that his late father was dead against. The last two years have been marked by a number of political decisions pointing in the same direction. In agriculture, farmers are now allowed to work in household-based teams and keep 30 percent of their harvest, and in industry, central planning is to be partially abolished. Private entrepreneurs, far more successful and numerous in North Korea than most people imagine, are not harassed by the state anymor...

Andrei Lankov | 2015-02-08 16:56

Misperception of Russia

If the international media is to be believed, there has been a dramatic revival in relations between Moscow and Pyongyang in the last year. One can often come across claims that Russia is going to replace Beijing as North Korea's major sponsor. Such statements are repeated frequently, thus many are beginning to take them more seriously than they deserve to be.

Andrei Lankov | 2015-01-11 17:17

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Lunch with Navy sailors