Avid reader, especially political non-fiction. Interested in reading something about North Korea but am anticipating most books containing exaggerated and unverified claims and just being biased overall.
Was wondering if anyone knew any good, unbiased books on North Korea? If any actually exist?
Patriots, Traitors and Empires: The Story of Korea’s Fight for Freedom by Stephen Gowans is a pretty good book. Been a while since I read it but it was very eye opening and a good read.
Patriots, traitors and empires is the book to read from a counter-history perspective, but it may be too biased against the quislings.
The book is built on Bruce Cumings books on korean history, so if you want a less biased book you can read Cumings work.
Is there a particular book of Cumings’ you recommend? He has a few.
Koreas place in the sun
Thanks!
My recommendation is going through the citations in the Blowback podcast season about the American invasion of Korea. You are bound to find some good books in the references there.
As mentioned above, there is no such thing as unbiased, however if you’re looking for books on north Korea that aren’t exaggerated lies and hyperboles spread by the west, here are some of my suggestions based off what I know (Note that I haven’t read all of them):
Any of the hundreds of books from korean-books.com.kp/en
Facts Tell Secret Documents Seized by North Korea from South Korean Government Archives https://annas-archive.org/md5/8a0e6e72f1fc456d78943f6bd13b4674
In North Korea: First Eye-Witness Report by Anna Louise Strong https://www.redstarpublishers.org/ALSKorea.pdf
Korea Is One https://annas-archive.org/md5/4b4a58dc5be40d5986d061a9b60a736c
Modern History of Korea Published by Foreign Language Publishing House (I can’t find this online currently, but I can send you a PDF if you ask)
Out of Their Own Mouths: Relevations and Confessions Written by American Soliders of Torture, Rape, Arson, and Cold-Blooded Murder of Defenceless Civilians and Prisoners of War in Korea (I can’t find this online currently, but I can send you a PDF if you ask)
Shall Brothers Be… An Account Written by American and British Prisoners of War, of Their Treatment in P.O.W. Camps in Korea https://ia801601.us.archive.org/28/items/shall-brothers-be/Shall Brothers Be_text.pdf
“Unbiased” is impossible, you can get closer to the truth than some things though. Especially considering the lies spread about them. I can’t find the thread where I heard about it, but I think one book that gets closer to the reality without having a vested interest in the Democratic People’s Republic is A Capitalist in North Korea.
