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Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: AudiobookHub Recommendation
Chapter 2: The U.S. government's decision to split Korea in two triggered the Korean War just five years later.
Chapter 3: North Korean society was defined by a rigid hierarchy shaping nearly every aspect of its citizens’ daily lives.
Chapter 4: Kim Il-sung instituted an extensive, enduring, strict regime of ideological training and civilian self-monitoring.
Chapter 5: Kim Il-sung fashioned an intense cult of personality, truly akin to a religious figure.
Chapter 6: The North Korean economy could not remain viable after the Soviet Union’s sudden collapse.
Chapter 7: Once food distribution centers failed to feed the population, black markets and other illicit types of commerce quickly arose.
Chapter 8: As North Korean society collapsed, Kim Jong-il at last let in foreign aid to North Korea and started legalizing black market.
Chapter 9: Defectors would cross the northern border into China on their way to South Korea, often by paying brokers or smugglers.
Chapter 10: As increasing numbers of North Koreans flee to South Korea, a gradual integration system helps them adapt.
Chapter 11: Today, the lives of North Koreans have not improved under Kim Jong-un.
Description
Nothing to Envy (2010) presents fascinating first-hand anecdotes from North Korean defectors, giving intimate insights into the lives of North Koreans under the rule of Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un. The thousands of refugees who arrive in South Korea each year bring with them stories of famine, repression and an isolated nation that has fallen out of touch with the developed world.
Who Should Listen
- Anyone interested in North Korea
- Anyone who wants to know what it’s like to live under a communist dictatorship
- Those curious about the lives of defectors and refugees