Politics in North and South Korea provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the political dynamics of the two Koreas. Giving equal weight to North and South Korea, the authors trace the history of political and economic development and international relations of the Korean peninsula, showing how South Korea became democratized and how Juche ideology has affected the establishment and operation of a totalitarian system in North Korea.

Written in a straightforward, jargon free manner, this textbook utilizes both historical-institutional approaches and quantitative evidence to analyse the political dimensions of a wide variety of issues including:

• Legacies of early-twentieth-century Japanese colonial rule
• South Korean democratization and democratic consolidation
• South Korean diplomacy and North Korean nuclear crises
• The economic development of both North and South Korea
• The three-generation power succession in North Korea
• North Korean human rights issues
• Inter-Korean relations and reunification

This textbook will be essential reading for students of Korean Politics and is also suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate courses on East Asian Politics, Asian Studies, and International Relations.

This textbook provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the political dynamics of the two Koreas. Giving equal weight to North and South Korea, it traces the political development and IR of the peninsula, showing how South Korea became democratized and how Juche ideology has affected the totalitarian system in North Korea.

Introduction 1. Legacies of Japanese Colonial Rule and Korean War 2. South Korean Democratization 3. Political Conflicts and Democracy after Democratization 4. South Korean Economy 5. South Korean Diplomacy 6. North Korean Ideology and Politics 7. North Korean Economy 8. North Korean Nuclear Crises 9. North Korean Human Rights 10. Inter-Korean Relations and Reunification Conclusion: Historical Legacies, Lingering Issues, and Future Prospects