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Coreea de Nord. Intre fascinatie si teroare
In stilul sau caracteristic, Loretta Napoleoni abordeaza direct amenintarea reprezentata de Coreea de Nord si ne prezinta povestea ei in context istoric si ideologic, propunandu-si sa schimbe parerile preconcepute ale occidentalilor despre aceasta tara. "Spre deosebire de Kim Il-sung, care a luptat impotriva colonialismului, sau de Kim Jong-il, care s-a remarcat in timpul Razboiului Rece, Kim Jong-un este un copil al noului mileniu si intelege sensul globalizarii. El stie ca va fi din ce in ce mai greu sa se tina departe de lume si, in acelasi timp, simte ca, daca se bazeaza pe dihotomia traditionala a Razboiului Rece, atat de draga bunicului si tatalui sau, asta se poate intoarce impotriva lui. Pentru a supravietui, tara are nevoie de crestere economica; acesta a fost mesajul de la bun inceput.
182 pages, Paperback
First published February 12, 2018
8 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Loretta Napoleoni
24 books85 followersLoretta Napoleoni is the bestselling author of Maonomics, Rogue Economics, Terror Incorporated and Insurgent Iraq. She is an expert on terrorist financing and money laundering, and advises several governments and international organizations on counter-terrorism and money laundering. As Chairman of the countering terrorism financing group for the Club de Madrid, Napoleoni brought heads of state from around the world together to create a new strategy for combating the financing of terror networks.
Napoleoni is a regular media commentator for CNN, Sky and the BBC. She is among the few economists who predicted the credit crunch and the recession, and advises several banks on strategies to counter the current ongoing crisis. She lectures regularly around the world on economics, terrorism and money laundering.
Loretta is also a columnist and writes about terrorism, money laundering and the economy for several European financial papers including El Pais, The Guardian and Le Monde. In the 1990s she was among the first journalists to interview the Red Brigades, the Italian Marxist armed group. She subsequently spent three years interviewing members of other terrorist organizations. In 2003 she interviewed followers of al Zarqawi in both Europe and in the Middle East.
Born and raised in Rome, in the mid 1970s she became an active member of the feminist movement and a political activist. She was a Fulbright scholar at Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Washington DC and a Rotary Scholar at the London School of Economics. She has a PhD in economics and a Masters of Philosophy in international relations and one in terrorism.
She began her career as an economist, working for several banks and international organizations in Europe and the US. In the early 1980s she spent 2 years in Budapest at the National Bank of Hungary working on a project for the convertibility of the florin that ten years later became the blueprint for the convertibility of the rouble. In he 1980s she worked for a UK registered Russian Bank, Moscow Narodny Bank, which acted as the foreign branch of the Bank of Foreign Trade. This position afforded her a unique insight into the Soviet economy. In 1992 she produced the final documentation for the structure of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IBRD. She teaches a course at Judge Business Schools, Cambridge.
Napoleoni ’s books include Modern Jihad (Pluto Press, London, 2003); Terror Inc. (Penguin, London, 2004); Insurgent Iraq (Seven Stories Press, New York, 2005); Terror Incorporated (Seven Stories Press, New York, 2005); Rogue Economics (Seven Stories Press, New York, 2008); Terror and the Economy (Seven Stories Press, New York, 2010) and Maonomics: Why Chinese Communists Are Better Capitalists Than We Are (Seven Stories Press 2011) . Her latest book is the best seller Islamist Phoenix (Seven Stories Press, New York, 2014). “The IS doesn’t want to destroy. They want to build the 21st century version of the Calliphate and that is what makes them so dangerous”. Her books are translated into 18 languages including Chinese and Arabic. She lives in London and in the US with her husband and their four children.
Napoleoni is currently working at a book linking the post 9/11 Western foreign policy, the kidnapping and refugee crisis. Based upon original interviews with former hostages, negotiators, member of the crisis unit, kidnap owes and refugees, the book will unveil how post 9/11 Western foreign policy is responsible for the birth of a new breed of criminal and terrorist engaged in kidnapping of Westerners and trafficking migrants. Napoleoni defines these people Merchant of Men.
Napoleoni is a regular media commentator for CNN, Sky and the BBC. She is among the few economists who predicted the credit crunch and the recession, and advises several banks on strategies to counter the current ongoing crisis. She lectures regularly around the world on economics, terrorism and money laundering.
Loretta is also a columnist and writes about terrorism, money laundering and the economy for several European financial papers including El Pais, The Guardian and Le Monde. In the 1990s she was among the first journalists to interview the Red Brigades, the Italian Marxist armed group. She subsequently spent three years interviewing members of other terrorist organizations. In 2003 she interviewed followers of al Zarqawi in both Europe and in the Middle East.
Born and raised in Rome, in the mid 1970s she became an active member of the feminist movement and a political activist. She was a Fulbright scholar at Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Washington DC and a Rotary Scholar at the London School of Economics. She has a PhD in economics and a Masters of Philosophy in international relations and one in terrorism.
She began her career as an economist, working for several banks and international organizations in Europe and the US. In the early 1980s she spent 2 years in Budapest at the National Bank of Hungary working on a project for the convertibility of the florin that ten years later became the blueprint for the convertibility of the rouble. In he 1980s she worked for a UK registered Russian Bank, Moscow Narodny Bank, which acted as the foreign branch of the Bank of Foreign Trade. This position afforded her a unique insight into the Soviet economy. In 1992 she produced the final documentation for the structure of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IBRD. She teaches a course at Judge Business Schools, Cambridge.
Napoleoni ’s books include Modern Jihad (Pluto Press, London, 2003); Terror Inc. (Penguin, London, 2004); Insurgent Iraq (Seven Stories Press, New York, 2005); Terror Incorporated (Seven Stories Press, New York, 2005); Rogue Economics (Seven Stories Press, New York, 2008); Terror and the Economy (Seven Stories Press, New York, 2010) and Maonomics: Why Chinese Communists Are Better Capitalists Than We Are (Seven Stories Press 2011) . Her latest book is the best seller Islamist Phoenix (Seven Stories Press, New York, 2014). “The IS doesn’t want to destroy. They want to build the 21st century version of the Calliphate and that is what makes them so dangerous”. Her books are translated into 18 languages including Chinese and Arabic. She lives in London and in the US with her husband and their four children.
Napoleoni is currently working at a book linking the post 9/11 Western foreign policy, the kidnapping and refugee crisis. Based upon original interviews with former hostages, negotiators, member of the crisis unit, kidnap owes and refugees, the book will unveil how post 9/11 Western foreign policy is responsible for the birth of a new breed of criminal and terrorist engaged in kidnapping of Westerners and trafficking migrants. Napoleoni defines these people Merchant of Men.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 11, 2024
Very disappointing experience. I wanted to know more about North Korea but found out that the author tries to paint a more 'nuanced' picture of that country. She does this but making statements which bear no closer scrutiny, such as "Kim Jong Un is introducing laissez-faire to the country". This language is closer to Orwells newspeak than anything else. She also tries to put North Korea on equal footing with South Korea even though North Korea is and has always been a much more bloody dictatorship. Because of this as well as other factual inaccuracies I only read half the book. It is impossible to know if some facts are true given that the authors character has been shown to be so untrustworthy.
January 21, 2022
Not a long book, but interesting with a lot of very condensed information and this information is presented in a very concise manner so it's easy to understand a lot of aspects, from Juche philosophy ( what is and especially what it is not ) to why it will be really difficult for both South and North Korea to reunite. Also a lot of new and surprising info regarding the black market from North Korea and how the economy evolved especially after Kim Jong-un came to power. I was positively surprised by this book.
January 27, 2019
Feels like news articles glued together...The author wants to be impartial and fair, but I feel this is a goal in itself for the author; I mean Kim and the regime are responsible for the crimes and suffering no matter what stupid and maybe evil action the Us and the world had twords north korea
January 14, 2019
3.5 stars
A sober and even handed analysis of the DPRK attempts to explain to readers how the country survives and what are the possible reasons for its persistence in the face of what would be potentially be insurmountable obstacles if true.
As such is avoids the singular focus on the evils of the regime which are typical of survivor and defector stories, and attempts to explain the Kim Dynasty. The only surprising thing about Napoleoni's treatise is that viewing the Kim's as quasi father figures and protectors for their nation/family is not more often posed as a reason behind the regime's resilience.
There are also attempts to scotch some of the more outlandish uses of the DPRK as an all purpose bogeyman for nefarious activities, most particularly as regards cybercrime. Glaring omissions are any discussion of the kidnappings of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 80s, and the regime's notable attacks on elements of the leadership of the ROK.
The timeline does not extend to the Trump/Kim summit of 2018, though I'd not be surprised if the author were to update the book with reflections on this more recent development.
A sober and even handed analysis of the DPRK attempts to explain to readers how the country survives and what are the possible reasons for its persistence in the face of what would be potentially be insurmountable obstacles if true.
As such is avoids the singular focus on the evils of the regime which are typical of survivor and defector stories, and attempts to explain the Kim Dynasty. The only surprising thing about Napoleoni's treatise is that viewing the Kim's as quasi father figures and protectors for their nation/family is not more often posed as a reason behind the regime's resilience.
There are also attempts to scotch some of the more outlandish uses of the DPRK as an all purpose bogeyman for nefarious activities, most particularly as regards cybercrime. Glaring omissions are any discussion of the kidnappings of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 80s, and the regime's notable attacks on elements of the leadership of the ROK.
The timeline does not extend to the Trump/Kim summit of 2018, though I'd not be surprised if the author were to update the book with reflections on this more recent development.
May 2, 2024
Hasznos összefoglaló a két Korea közelmúltjáról és jelenéről.
Néhány gondolat a könyvből:
- Korea Japán általi megszállása (1910) két részre osztotta a koreaiakat: pro- és anti-japán érzelműekre. Nem mindenki járt rosszul a japán megszállással. Jellemző módon délen voltak a gazdag arisztokraták, a jól termő földek tulajdonosai, akik beszolgáltatták Japánnak a rizs adagot, északon pedig a hegyvidék, kevesebb termőfölddel - ennek a következményei később tragikusak voltak. A déliek között többen voltak Japán mellett állók, északon sokkal kevésbé.
- Japán elnyomás Koreában: kötelező japán nyelvhasználat, nevek átírása japánra, kulturális értékek megsemmisítése, a kemény munka koreaiakkal való elvégeztetése, lényegében rabszolgák és "komfort hölgyek" importálása Japánba.
- Japán 1931-ben elfoglalta Mandzsúriát, ahova a koreaiak egy része menekült. Itt élt a fiatal Kim Ir-Szen, aki japánellenes akciókba kezdett.
- Kim Ir-Szen a nemzet atyja - ennek a nagyon erős hitnek (mert hitnek lehet mondani) az alapja a konfucianizmusból eredeztethető
- a faji fennebbrendűség érzésére nyugodtan lehetett építkezni mindkét Koreában
- 1950-1953: Koreai háború, a hidegháború első konfliktusa. Korea, mint Japán gyarmat, a 2. világháború után győzelmi préda lett. Dél - amerikaiaké, észak - szovjeteké. Egyiknek sem tetszett a másik jelenléte a Koreai-félszigeten, és egyik sem akart egy független Koreát, amit a másik esetleg bekebelezhet. Ki szívta meg a két szuperhatalom közti utálatot a legjobban? A koreaiak. Igaz, ők sem voltak teljesen ártatlanok - egymást vádolták "japánbarát", "szovjetbarát" szövegekkel, és mindkét oldal a saját igazát akarta.
- Amerika több bombát dobott le Koreára a háború 3 éve alatt, mint a 2. világháború alatt a Csendes-óceáni csatákban összesen. Ezt a pusztítást fel sem lehet fogni... Csoda, hogy Amerika-ellenes propaganda megy még most is ÉK-ban?
- A 38. szélességi kör felosztása után nagy vonalakban azt is mondhatjuk, hogy délen maradt ennivaló, de nem volt energia, északon volt energia termelés, de nem volt élelmiszer.
- A juche filozófiáról: könnyebb megérteni, ha vallásnak tekintjük, vagy akár a szcientológiához hasonlítjuk. Kissé ködös a jelentése, de talán leginkább azzal lehet meghatározni, hogy függetlenséget jelent, észak-koreai nacionalizmust, nemzeti büszkeséget.
- Dél-Korea csak 1978-ban érte el azt a fejlettségi szintet gazdaságilag, mint Észak-Korea. ÉK-nak szerencséje volt a Szovjetunióval, mivel rengeteg segítséget kaptak tőlük a 1953. után. A többit persze tudjuk...
- DK-ban is volt egy időszak, amikor autoriter vezető uralkodott, aki valószínűleg ugyanarra az imádatra áhítozott, mint amit Kim Ir-Szen kapott odaát. Ezt a pasast (Park Chung-hee) 1979-ben megölték. Mindenesetre egy ellentmondásos figura, mert DK gyors iparosítása és felívelő gazdasága neki köszönhető (és az USA segítségének).
- Az, hogy ÉK gazdasága nem volt tisztán kommunistának mondható (a tervezés gyengesége miatt), egyfajta rugalmasságot kölcsönzött neki - a kormány így védhette ki részben pl. a Szovjetunió bukásának hatásait.
- Szovjetunió bukása -> importálható energia mennyisége csökkent -> termelés csökkent -> bejövő pénz csökkent -> hideg telek, fázás -> erdőirtás -> talaj minősége csökkent -> éghajlati változások, szárazság, áradások, cunami -> élelmiszer mennyisége csökkent -> éhínség + feketepiacok megjelenése.
- Gift economy: magasrangú tisztviselők lekenyerezése a vezetés által (mennyi pénz mehet el erre).
- Van azért itt import-export, és az árak felfújásával, megmásításával nagyon jól lehet pénzeket lenyúlni.
- Hogy miért nincs sikerük az ÉK elleni szankcióknak: a juche ideológia egyik fontos eleme, hogy a nép egyedül mindent megoldjon. A szankciók kihívást jelentenek, de nem fogják megállítani a nukleáris programot, amit a függetlenségük egyik garanciájának tekintenek.
Néhány gondolat a könyvből:
- Korea Japán általi megszállása (1910) két részre osztotta a koreaiakat: pro- és anti-japán érzelműekre. Nem mindenki járt rosszul a japán megszállással. Jellemző módon délen voltak a gazdag arisztokraták, a jól termő földek tulajdonosai, akik beszolgáltatták Japánnak a rizs adagot, északon pedig a hegyvidék, kevesebb termőfölddel - ennek a következményei később tragikusak voltak. A déliek között többen voltak Japán mellett állók, északon sokkal kevésbé.
- Japán elnyomás Koreában: kötelező japán nyelvhasználat, nevek átírása japánra, kulturális értékek megsemmisítése, a kemény munka koreaiakkal való elvégeztetése, lényegében rabszolgák és "komfort hölgyek" importálása Japánba.
- Japán 1931-ben elfoglalta Mandzsúriát, ahova a koreaiak egy része menekült. Itt élt a fiatal Kim Ir-Szen, aki japánellenes akciókba kezdett.
- Kim Ir-Szen a nemzet atyja - ennek a nagyon erős hitnek (mert hitnek lehet mondani) az alapja a konfucianizmusból eredeztethető
- a faji fennebbrendűség érzésére nyugodtan lehetett építkezni mindkét Koreában
- 1950-1953: Koreai háború, a hidegháború első konfliktusa. Korea, mint Japán gyarmat, a 2. világháború után győzelmi préda lett. Dél - amerikaiaké, észak - szovjeteké. Egyiknek sem tetszett a másik jelenléte a Koreai-félszigeten, és egyik sem akart egy független Koreát, amit a másik esetleg bekebelezhet. Ki szívta meg a két szuperhatalom közti utálatot a legjobban? A koreaiak. Igaz, ők sem voltak teljesen ártatlanok - egymást vádolták "japánbarát", "szovjetbarát" szövegekkel, és mindkét oldal a saját igazát akarta.
- Amerika több bombát dobott le Koreára a háború 3 éve alatt, mint a 2. világháború alatt a Csendes-óceáni csatákban összesen. Ezt a pusztítást fel sem lehet fogni... Csoda, hogy Amerika-ellenes propaganda megy még most is ÉK-ban?
- A 38. szélességi kör felosztása után nagy vonalakban azt is mondhatjuk, hogy délen maradt ennivaló, de nem volt energia, északon volt energia termelés, de nem volt élelmiszer.
- A juche filozófiáról: könnyebb megérteni, ha vallásnak tekintjük, vagy akár a szcientológiához hasonlítjuk. Kissé ködös a jelentése, de talán leginkább azzal lehet meghatározni, hogy függetlenséget jelent, észak-koreai nacionalizmust, nemzeti büszkeséget.
- Dél-Korea csak 1978-ban érte el azt a fejlettségi szintet gazdaságilag, mint Észak-Korea. ÉK-nak szerencséje volt a Szovjetunióval, mivel rengeteg segítséget kaptak tőlük a 1953. után. A többit persze tudjuk...
- DK-ban is volt egy időszak, amikor autoriter vezető uralkodott, aki valószínűleg ugyanarra az imádatra áhítozott, mint amit Kim Ir-Szen kapott odaát. Ezt a pasast (Park Chung-hee) 1979-ben megölték. Mindenesetre egy ellentmondásos figura, mert DK gyors iparosítása és felívelő gazdasága neki köszönhető (és az USA segítségének).
- Az, hogy ÉK gazdasága nem volt tisztán kommunistának mondható (a tervezés gyengesége miatt), egyfajta rugalmasságot kölcsönzött neki - a kormány így védhette ki részben pl. a Szovjetunió bukásának hatásait.
- Szovjetunió bukása -> importálható energia mennyisége csökkent -> termelés csökkent -> bejövő pénz csökkent -> hideg telek, fázás -> erdőirtás -> talaj minősége csökkent -> éghajlati változások, szárazság, áradások, cunami -> élelmiszer mennyisége csökkent -> éhínség + feketepiacok megjelenése.
- Gift economy: magasrangú tisztviselők lekenyerezése a vezetés által (mennyi pénz mehet el erre).
- Van azért itt import-export, és az árak felfújásával, megmásításával nagyon jól lehet pénzeket lenyúlni.
- Hogy miért nincs sikerük az ÉK elleni szankcióknak: a juche ideológia egyik fontos eleme, hogy a nép egyedül mindent megoldjon. A szankciók kihívást jelentenek, de nem fogják megállítani a nukleáris programot, amit a függetlenségük egyik garanciájának tekintenek.
January 21, 2025
This book by Loretta Napoleoni is openly biased toward the North Korean side. The author has strong anti-American sentiment (the Americans divided the Korean peninsula in 1945, not the Americans together with the Soviets (Chapter 2); the death of Otto Warmbier was a fault of Obama's administration, not of those who imprisoned him (Chapter 3); the U.S. is a cybernetic giant as revealed by Snowden, not North Korea (Chapter 5)). The most outrageous for me was the denial of North Korean involvement in the Sony Pictures Entertainment hack, suggesting rather an inside job at the company (Chapter 5). The international community systematically collects evidence supporting the attribution. Moreover, North Korean representatives not even hide that the cyberspace is a legitimate and advantageous battlefield for them.
So I give two stars, because at least there are a lot of references useful for further reading. But still, I regret that I bought the book using my own money.
So I give two stars, because at least there are a lot of references useful for further reading. But still, I regret that I bought the book using my own money.
November 30, 2018
Într-o manieră obiectivă (sau care se vrea a fi obiectivă), Loretta Napoleoni a trasat o istorie a Coreei și motivele pentru care s-a rupt Nordul de Sud și de restul țărilor. Autoarea s-a distanțat de felul în care au fost prezentate evenimentele coreene în celelalte cărți cu această tematică, duritatea față de acest regim fiind diminuată major. S-a încercat înțelegerea motivelor din spatele acestui fascinant coșmar real. Sunt clarificați și detaliați termeni ca (doctrina) juche sau songbun, ce stau la baza funcționării statului și se face o scurtă analiză a situației economice, sociale (și nu numai) în decursul acestor ani.
3.5/5
3.5/5
August 2, 2018
The book is what the author promises in her introduction: a dispassionate historical and economic analysis of North Korea. As a result, the reading is quick and neutral without avoiding the truth or being apologetic in anyways. The author is informative and didactic without patronizing the reader, which is, in itself, refreshing; the history of NK is shown chronologically to fill our western knowledge gap. After taking the reader through the history and stories of the Korean people, Loretta Napoleoni presents a timetable of both North and South Korea. The book is full of annexes, providing additional info. The best annex is the tweets exchange between Donald Trump and Kim Jon un (simultaneously tragic and comic).
May 6, 2020
Mai putin decat am asteptat si mai mult decat se poate scrie despre o tara inchisa.
Comunismul feudal, bazat pe filosofia-religie juche, construit de un popor-sclav impartit in caste randuite din generatie in generatie in dosare groase.
Prima dinastie de conducatori comunisti, domnind cu mana de fier peste partidul-creier si natiunea-sistem nervos.
O lectura infricosatoare pe care o recomand mai ales nostalgicilor.
Comunismul feudal, bazat pe filosofia-religie juche, construit de un popor-sclav impartit in caste randuite din generatie in generatie in dosare groase.
Prima dinastie de conducatori comunisti, domnind cu mana de fier peste partidul-creier si natiunea-sistem nervos.
O lectura infricosatoare pe care o recomand mai ales nostalgicilor.
August 9, 2025
As the title suggests, this details North Korea - Korean society before Japanese occupation, the occupation itself, the spilt between north and south, and how the north has managed to endure when so much of the communist bloc hasn't. It's at times, an interesting read, but at others, too broad of one. Gave me some insights into the regime and the society, but nothing utterly groundbreaking.
August 1, 2019
This book is very useful especially because it made me understand why those people have this mentality. Please, for those who completely hate north koreeans, grab this book and then judge them. An another good and usefull book written by Loretta Napoleoni!
August 2, 2020
Una dintre cele mai bune cărți despre Coreea de Nord!
December 3, 2025
Pentru mine, nu chiar foarte complexa. Se citeste usor, poate fi o buna introducere in subiect, dar n-as spune ca aduce informatii noi pentru cei care au mai citit pe subiect.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews