North Korea: The Past and Present of a Closed State

Interest in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is fueled by a well-established stereotype of it being the most closed country in the world, although there are quite a few examples of tourists from even Western countries boasting about having been there. This means that the North Korean state can no longer be deemed closed. And after the borders were closed in 2020 on a global scale due to fear of COVID-19, other countries could compete for the title of the most closed in the world, even more so than North Korea. The uniqueness of the DPRK lies in the fact that for more than 70 years it has preserved its identity, independence, and the unchanging political and socio-economic course. The author of the book is a Korea scholar and international journalist who lived, studied, and worked in the DPRK in the 1980s and 1990s, visited the country in 2009, and has been writing news about North Korean realities throughout his professional career since 1985. This book is based on diaries and memories from all these years and covers both the socio-political aspects of life in the DPRK as well as the culture, religion, traditions, and customs of the North Koreans. It is of great interest not only as a measured narrative from an eyewitness and journalist but also as a collection of materials for scientific research on Korean issues.