1st Edition
The Forgotten Political Elites of North Korea Woe to the Vanquished
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 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.
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
Biography
Fyodor Tertitskiy is Leading Researcher at the Institute for Korean Studies at Kookmin University, South Korea. He studies North Korean military, social and political history and is the author of The North Korean Army (2022) and Soviet-North Korean Relations During the Cold War (2023).
