The Forgotten Political Elites of North Korea
Woe to the Vanquished
Fyodor Tertitskiy
- 272 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
The Forgotten Political Elites of North Korea
Woe to the Vanquished
Fyodor Tertitskiy
About This Book
This book comprises the biographies of the North Korean politicians whose actions played a pivotal role in shaping the formation of the country during the late 1940s, the Korean War of 1950-53 and the power struggles of the mid-1950s.
Drawing from a rich array of archival material in both Korean, Russian and oral testimonies, this book gives insight into the life stories of key figures such as Pang Hak-se, the founder of North Korea's secret police; Lee Sang-jo, a rebellious and idealistic North Korean ambassador; and Mun Il, the secretary of North Korea's first leader, Kim Il-sung. The biographies offer fresh perspectives into significant events in North Korean history such as the rise of Kim Il-sung and the reasons behind his selection as the nation's leader, The book also reveals how crucial events during the Korean War, such as the Inchon Landing Operation and China's entry into the war, shed new light on North Korean history.
Unveiling the lives and impact of influential politicians in a notoriously secretive nation, this book will appeal to a wide range of readers including students and scholars of North Korea, the Korean War, the Cold War era, Asian history and those interested in the biographies of significant historical figures.
Frequently asked questions
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Half-Title Page
- Series Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- List of Figures
- A note on Romanisation
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Lost and forgotten: Failed candidates for the North Korean throne
- 3 The Brigade faction: Fates of those who served with Kim Il-sung in the Soviet Army
- 4 Yu Sŏng-ch'ŏl: Kim Il-sung's former comrade-in-arms and his testimony
- 5 Mikhail Kan: Stepping away from power
- 6 Innokentiy Kim: How an officer of Stalin's secret police stood for North Koreans
- 7 Pak Chŏng-ae: The woman with an iron heart
- 8 Mun Il: North Korea's Moriarty
- 9 Chang Hak-pong: Chronicler of the early days of North Korea
- 10 Pang Hak-se: The founding father of the North Korean secret police
- 11 Aleksei Hegay and his mysterious death
- 12 Vice-Minister Kang Sang-ho: The story of his service in the North Korean police and of his miraculous escape from the DPRK
- 13 Nam Il: The general who signed the Korean War Armistice
- 14 Pak Ch'ang-ok: Kim Il-sung's (equally) evil twin
- 15 Lee Sang-jo: An ambassador who challenged the leader
- 16 Pak Ŭi-wan: Vice-Premier who had a heart
- 17 Conclusion
- Appendix: Full list of the 88th Brigade's decorated Korean personnel
- Index