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North Korea through the Looking Glass 3rd Printing Edition

by Kongdan Oh (Author), Ralph C. Hassig (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars 10 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0815764359
ISBN-10: 0815764359
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 216 pages
  • Publisher: Brookings Institution Press; 3rd Printing edition (August 1, 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0815764359
  • ISBN-13: 978-0815764359
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,016,359 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 starsAuthors not up to the task
By Brian E. Moore on November 17, 2002
Format: Paperback
Interest in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has increased since President Bush included the nation with Iran and Iraq as an "Axis of Evil" state. Further interest was generated in October of 2002, when the North Korean government confirmed that it possesses a nuclear weapons program. I, along with many Americans, are now seeking information about this mysterious hermit nation. I chose Kongdan Oh's "North Korea: Through the Looking Glass" because it seemed to be a non-technical overview of North Korean society, economics, and politics. The blurbs on the back cover described the book as providing "genuine insight" gleaned from "painstaking research." Unfortunately, the book did not live up to its promise.
One finds oneself wishing that the authors would share with the reader all of the interesting data that they discovered in researching the book. Instead, all we get are general statements about the corruption and ineptitude of the North Korean government. This could have been a much better book if the authors had elected to paint a more vivid picture by including more detail. Here's an example: on page 66 the authors make the following statement: "North Korean government and party officials also engage in many illicit activities such as counterfeiting, production of illicit drugs, and smuggling (especially conducted by the DPRK's foreign diplomatic corps). " There is no elaboration on this provocative declaration. The citation for this statement is an article by David Kaplan et al. in US News & World Report, dated February 15, 1999. I looked up the article and found it to be fascinating. The US News piece states that North Korean counterfeit "$100 bills ...Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsThe Conundrum of Korea: An Insider�s Look
By Charles F. Hawkins on January 8, 2002
Format: Paperback
(...) In "North Korea: Through the Looking Glass," they have combined their considerable intellectual talent and first-hand experience to craft a masterpiece of description, understanding and policy guidance.
This work is based on painstaking research and insightful analysis. There are charts and tables to support the author's findings, and there is an interesting picture section. Although it may seem a dauntingly dry read at first blush, it is in fact crisp and easily understood. Excerpts from two sections serve to illustrate.
In the preface, Oh and Hassig write: "Three years ago, when we first proposed to write this book, one of our colleagues sought to dissuade us on the grounds that North Korea would collapse before the book reached the printer. This was not an uncommon expectation in the years immediately following the 1994 death of North Korea's founder, Kim Il Sung. We had earlier predicted that his son and successor, the reclusive Kim Jong Il, would be unable to hold on to power for long. In any event, North Korea still survives, muddling along in a considerable weakened state. But even should North Korea collapse in the near future, we believe that a better understanding of the country and its people will help the world deal with a Korea struggling to reunify."
On page 201, under the sub-heading "Policy Considerations," we find: "The first goal of any responsible policy must be to avoid provoking conflict on the Korean Peninsula. Most of the people killed in a second Korean conflict would be Koreans in the North and South, and for a third party to trigger such a conflict would be unconscionable."
And: "The second policy goal should be to provide the North Korean people with the opportunity to move toward democracy (a specific example of the avowed U.S.Read more ›
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4.0 out of 5 starsA Hermit Kingdom
By A Customer on October 22, 2002
Format: Paperback
A great introductory insight into one of the most strange and mysterious countries on earth. The authors provide valuable examples and a good understanding as to how the bizarre North Korean government operates, and how this regime minipulates the minds of its people. The most interesting parts of the book are the insights provided by the many defectors from the North, and the stories they tell.
In my opinion, the book lacked any real insight into North Koreas military capability, it kind of leaves the reader wondering how strong this country really is. Though the author does mention that North Korea has a "military first" policy, and most of its money and resources goes into the military, we don't know what types of capabilities they really have, what types of technology they possess, and what countries are supplying them with what technological products. This lack of information may be due to lack of the authors access to this information.
After reading this book, I still don't know how the economy of this country functions, this is definetly a country that requires serious help from the outside. This book is a great read, and a very good introduction to understanding this backward nation.
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5.0 out of 5 starsAn excellent book that provides great insight
By A Customer on January 30, 2002
Format: Paperback
This book is really loaded and provides the reader with much insight behind this closed borders of this isolated country. North Korea is one of the last countries in the world that doesn't have diplomatic relations with the U.S. The book also provides historical data that is helpful as there isn't much known about this country who happens to be the largest weapons exporter in the region. Another book that I highly recommend as it discusses North Koreas secret, but aggressive nuclear weapons program supported by China is the thriller THE CONSULTANT by Alec Donzi.
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