This excellent book makes an important contribution to the growing literature on North Korea’s foreign policy. It explains the resilience of the Kim Jong-Un regime, despite international isolation, persistent economic problems, and a continuing security confrontation with the United States. Editors Kwon and Zhang argue that national identity and theJucheideology of self-reliance have been the foundation of regime legitimacy. The introduction provides historical background on North Korea’s struggle to achieve political independence, national security, and economic prosperity. The body of the book examines the ineffectiveness of US economic sanctions to prevent North Korea from becoming a nuclear-weapon state; how the Kim regimes have taken advantage of North Korea’s geopolitical importance to China to guarantee the latter’s economic and political backing; the obstacles to extracting economic concessions from Japan; North Korea's economic and political partnership with Russia; and its nuclear and missiles cooperation with Iran. A useful addition to Scott Snyder and Kyung-Ae Park'sNorth Korea’s Foreign Policy: The Kim Jong-Un Regime in a Hostile World (CH, Jul'23, 60-3332). Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; practitioners.
