A Socioeconomic History of North Korea

Even as its rise as a nuclear power unfolds on the nightly news, North Korea remains arguably the most mysterious country in the world. A virtual blackout of statistical information coming from the reclusive regime has shrouded the day-to-day lives of its inhabitants in secrecy.

This groundbreaking study—which relies on rare U.N.-assisted household data and carefully scrutinized propaganda materials—offers the first comprehensive examination of the social and economic history of North Korea...