The contemporary political history of
the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK)

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North Korea Calls For Aid, Condemns War Moves
By Hilda Cuzco, The Militant, 15 April 1996. The DPRK has appealed for more aid to relieve food shortages caused by disastrous floods last year. On February 7, Pyongyang had halted appeals for aid from foreign relief agencies because hostile elements, mainly in South Korea, were trying to use this appeal to demand political concessions from North Korea.
Time is running out for North Korea
By Thi Lam, Pacific News Service, 8 May 1997. North Korea has no choice, but will have to participate in peace talks exchange for food for its starving people.
North Korea’s Fragile State
By Susmit Kumar, People’s News Agency, 5 August 1997. Surveys the history of North Korea since the Russo-Japanese War; data on present political-economic situation; CIA assessment as a rogue country; famine; evaluates likely scenarios for the immediate future.
Behind the hype against north Korea
By Deirdre Griswold, in Workers World, 11 September 1997. A critique of the CIA’s characterization of the DPRK as a rogue state. Compare with the Kumar article above.
Will Kim Jon Il become President of DPR Korea, after this election?
Response to query by Professor Mizuno Mitsuaki to the H-Asia list, 23 July 1998. Will foreign policy of DPR Korea change?
Learning The Truth About Korea
By Argiris Malapanis and Samantha Kern, 7 September 1998. Between July 18 and July 25 the authors were part of an international fact-finding delegation that visited the DPRK. It was initiated by the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) and hosted by the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League. The purpose was to get the facts about the Korean people’s struggle to reunify their country and the ongoing campaign by Washington and Tokyo to deny Korea the right to national sovereignty.
DPRK launches first satellite for National Day
By John Catalinotto, Workers World, 17 September 1998. Ten days before the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, socialist north Korea launched its first satellite into orbit Aug. 31.
North Korea? Don't call us that, Japan told
AFP, The Straits Times, 26 July 2000. It wants to be called the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and by using the shorter version, the Japanese are insulting Pyongyang
International Concern over divided peninsula. North Korea: in need of opening up the economy
By Selig S. Harrison, Le Monde diplomatique, November 2003. To many foreign observers North Korea is on the verge of collapse, beset by insuperable problems attributable to a rigid Stalinist orthodoxy. But North Korea is more likely to survive by moving toward a liberalisation of its economy broadly similar to what has been happening in China since the death of Mao.