The North Korean Revolution, 1945-1950 by Charles K. ArmstrongMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is probably the best book I've come across detailing the period between the end of WWII and the beginning of the Korean War, from when North Korea was established to when it tried (and briefly succeeded) to invade the South. It was during this period that Kim Il-Sung set up North Korea as we know it today.
It was also very interesting to read about the Chondogyo religion and its spread during that time. I knew next to nothing about this before. Apparently it still exists in South Korea (with over 1 million followers!)
Highlighted passages:
"To this day, the language spoken by most Koreans in Yanbian is based on the Hamgyong dialect" (p. 18)
"In Germany as many as 2 million women were raped by members of the Soviet occupation forces". (p. 44)
"The state attempted to reverse the previous hierarchy and to put those of "good songbun", or the formerly "persecuted classes", on top." (p. 72)
"In Soviet-type economies, the state does not substitute for the working class, but rather for the exploiting class. The state then "creates" the working class, which is politically and economically dependent on the state and its officials" (p. 137)
"This helped the DPRK to remain viable after the Mongolian People's Republic, the one genuine Soviet Satellite in Asia, lost its legitimacy after the collapse of communist states in Eastern Europe" (p. 190)
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