"Reading North Korea: an Ethnological Inquiry" - A Book Review



Opinion “Reading North Korea: an Ethnological Inquiry” – A Book Review A look at Professor Sonia Ryang's most recent book on the DPRK Gianluca Spezza February 25, 2014 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Eric Lafforgue Professor Sonia Ryang of Iowa University may well be one of the few qualified people to discuss matters of North Korean culture from an insider’s perspective. For those who like to follow North Korea through visual media, her life experience might be compared with that of Yang Yong-hi, the director of Dear Pyongyang and Goodbye Pyongyang, although Ryang’s academic background adds an extra layer of depth to her work on the DPRK. Born in Japan, from one of the many Korean families who were often forced to move there during the colonial occupation of Korea, she was raised within the © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update & Podcast Updates Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by Trending

Opinion

“Reading North Korea: an Ethnological Inquiry” – A Book Review

A look at Professor Sonia Ryang's most recent book on the DPRK

Gianluca Spezza February 25, 2014

“Reading North Korea: an Ethnological Inquiry” – A Book Review

Eric Lafforgue

Professor Sonia Ryang of Iowa University may well be one of the few qualified people to discuss matters of North Korean culture from an insider’s perspective. For those who like to follow North Korea through visual media, her life experience might be compared with that of Yang Yong-hi, the director of Dear Pyongyang and Goodbye Pyongyang, although Ryang’s academic background adds an extra layer of depth to her work on the DPRK.

Born in Japan, from one of the many Korean families who were often forced to move there during the colonial occupation of Korea, she was raised within the

About the Author

Gianluca Spezza

Gianluca Spezza earned his PhD in 2017 from the University of Central Lancashire under the supervision of Professor Hazel Smith, on the strength of research on the cooperation between UNICEF and the DPRK in education and childcare. Dr Spezza is an assistant professor of international relations and a senior researcher at the DPRK Strategy Center at KIMEP University in Almaty, Kazakhstan; he is writing a monograph on education, international cooperation, and human capital in North Korea (Palgrave 2021). His work on the DPRK, articles or interviews, can be found, among others, on the websites of the BBC, The Guardian, The Diplomat, IRIN News, NK News, DR.dk, Newsweek Korea, and El Confidential.

View more articles by Gianluca Spezza Got a news tip?Let us know!