North Korea: A History

by Michael J. Seth

Overview

North Korea is perhaps the most intriguing, infamous and enigmatic nation of our modern world. Yet how many of us know its full history, and how it came to be? How can we understand such a strange, isolated state?

This new edition seeks to provide some answers to these questions. Starting with its origins in the colonial period, Michael J Seth masterfully traces how North Korea transformed itself from a Soviet-style socialist state to the ultra-nationalist, dynastic dictatorship of the 21st century. Born from 20th century Korea's struggles to regain autonomy and achieve modernization, this book follows the story of how a single Korea with a shared ethnic and cultural heritage, evolved into radically different societies. From the birth of the DPRK, through economic collapse, famine and failed revolution, it illuminates North Korea's journey with an engaging understanding of the political, ideological, economic and social forces at play.

This edition has been updated to examine recent developments in Korean history, up until 2025, and has analysed over sixty new publications from leading academics. It also incorporates the experiences of prominent North Korean women and analyses the everyday life of ordinary North Koreans, as well as the country's leaders. Seth also uses his expertise to analyse and put more emphasis on Inter-Korean relations

Following the evolution of this uncommon nation, North Korea: A History uses the past to answer questions about the present, and above all shows North Korea as a society with a hard-working, long-suffering population who have made great sacrifices in the hopes for a better future.

North Korea: A History is also available in audiobook format from audiobook retailers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781350475441
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	02/05/2026
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.43(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Michael J. Seth is a professor of history at James Madison University, USA, where he teaches World and East Asian history. His research has focused mostly, although not exclusively, on Korea. He has lived and worked in Korea and travels frequently to the country. His published works include: Education Fever: Society, Politics and the Pursuit of Schooling in South Korea (2002), A Concise History of Korea (Fourth Edition, 2024), Korea: A Very Short Introduction (2020), and Not on the Map: The Peculiar Histories of De Facto States (2021), Korea at War (2023).

Table of Contents

Timeline
Introduction
1. Historical Roots of the North Korean State
2. Birth of the DPRK and Failed Reunification, 1945-1953
3. Industrialization and Political Consolidation, 1953-1967
4. Creating a Monolithic System and a Dynastic State, 1967-1980
5. From Stagnation to Crisis, 1980-1994
6. Famine and Survival, 1994-2005
7. Failed Revolution, Enduring State, 2005-2016
8. An Uncertain Future, 2016-2025
Conclusion
Glossary of Korean Terms
Bibliography
Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Seth’s succinct narrative provides the necessary background to cut through the shallow journalism that stereotypes the North Korean state, society, and leadership as aberrant. Revealing the complex historical roots of the North Korean revolution, this history takes the story into the current geo-political fervor that characterizes Northeast Asia in the 2010s. Anyone who wants to really understand the how’s and whys of North Korean state behavior in the current moment must read this account. –Michael Robinson, Indiana University Bloomington, USA

This timely book contains the most important data on North Korea since 1948 with references to previous history. –Gabriel Jonsson, Skholm University, Sweden

Editorial Reviews

Praise for previous edition:
Seth's succinct narrative provides the necessary background to cut through the shallow journalism that stereotypes the North Korean state, society and leadership as aberrant. Revealing the complex historical roots of the North Korean revolution, this history takes the story into the current geo-political fervor that characterizes Northeast Asia in the 2010s. Anyone who wants to really understand the how's and whys of North Korean state behaviour in the current moment must read this account” —Michael Robinson, Indiana University Bloomington, USA

From the Publisher