Chapter 1: Historical Setting / Bruce Cumings
The origins of the Korean nation
The three kingdoms period. Paekche ; Koguryŏ ; Silla ; Korea under Silla
Unification by Kory̆ŏ
The Chosŏn Dynasty. Florescence ; Dynastic decline
Korea in the nineteenth-century world order
Japanese colonialism, 1910-45
The rise of Korean nationalism and communism
National division in the 1940s. Tensions in the 1940s ; U.S. and Soviet occupations ; The arrival of Kim Il Sung ; The establishment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
The Korean War, 1950-53
The postwar period. The economy ; Corporatism and the chuch'e idea ; International relations
North-south relations in the twenty-first century
Chapter 2: The Society and Its Environment / Helen-Louise Hunter
The physical environment. Topography and drainage ; Climate ; Environmental factors
Population
Social structure and values. Creating a new society ; The cult of Kim Il Sung ; A class society ; The new socialist society ; The work unit as the basic social unit ; A thought-controlled society ; The elite life in P'yŏngyang ; The privileged life beyond money ; Daily life ; A society in crisis ; A militarized society ; Family life ; Children ; Leisure activities ; Religion
Education. Primary education ; Middle school and beyond ; Higher education
Healthcare
Chapter 3: The Economy / David Kang
Economic development, 1940s-90s. The economy after World War II ; North Korea's development strategy
Economic infrastructure since the early 1990s. Comparisons with South Korea ; Organization ; Natural resources ; Energy and power generation ; Transportation ; Forestry and fishing ; Telecommunications and the Internet ; Government budget
Agriculture, the famine of 1995-98, and economic changes. Collapse in the 1990s ; Causes of the famine ; Effects of the famine ; Post-famine situation ; Economic reforms ; Reform of the public distribution system ; Banking and finance ; Legal and administrative reforms ; Special economic zones ; Top-down reform measures ; Assessment of the economic reforms
Foreign economic relations
North-South relations. Sunshine Policy and new economic developments ; Kaesŏng industrial venture
The economy in transition
Chapter 4: Government and Politics / Victor D. Cha and Balbina Y. Hwang
Relationships among the government, party, and military
The Korean Workers' Party
The constitutional framework
The structure of government. The legislature ; The executive ; The judiciary ; Local government
Political ideology. The role of chuch'e ; The origins of chuch'e ; Application of chuch'e in the North Korean state
Party leadership and elite recruitment. Composition ; Party members ; Party cadres ; The ruling elite ; Leadership succession
Mass organizations
The media
Foreign policy. Inter-Korean affairs ; China and the Soviet Union/Russia ; Japan ; The United States
Prospects: the significance of reform
Chapter 5: Natinoal Security / James M. Minnich
Military heritage
National command authorities. National defense organizations ; National security policy formulation
Organization and equipment of the armed forces. General staff department ; Army ; Special operations forces ; Air force ; Navy ; Reserve forces ; Strategic weapons ; Officer corps professional education and training ; Enlisted conscription and training ; Military ranks
Doctrine, strategy, and tactics
Defense industry
Internal security. Control system ; Punishment and the penal system ; Judicial and prosecutorial systems ; Ministry of People's Security ; State Security Department ; Guard Command ; Border Security Command and Coastal Security Bureau
National security prospects
List of figures. Administrative divisions of North Korea, 2007 ; Korea in the fifth century A.D. ; North Korea in its Asian setting ; Topography and drainage ; Population by age and sex, 2005, and estimated for 2025 ; Selected industrial and mining activity, 2005 ; Primary roads and expressways, 2005 ; Primary railroads, ports, and airports, 2006 ; Special economic zones, 2006 ; Party, state, and government power, 2006 ; Simplified national military command structure, 2006 ; Deployment of ground and naval forces and air wings, 2006 ; Officer ranks and insignia, 2007 ; Enlisted ranks and insignia, 2007.