While the world watches whether North Korea and the United States can agree on removing nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula and normalizing relations, German Ambassador Thomas Schäfer’s new book should be on the table. 

Schäfer served as ambassador in Pyongyang from 2007 to 2010 and again from 2013 to 2018, and is one of the very few chiefs of mission to have published a book about his experiences.

Released in March, “From Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un: How the Hardliners Prevailed” sets forth in detail the obstacles foreign governments face in engaging with North Korea, and raises