Stephan Haggard's Book Reviewed by Acton Institute Blog
Review — Witness to Transformation: Refugee Insights into North Korea
05/03/2011
Ken Marotte,
Acton Institute, PowerBlog
A mere mention of North Korea brings to mind the repressive regime of Dear Leader Kim Jong-il. Although Kim has been satirized in the West as an impish consumer of cognac and NBA paraphernalia, his grip on society is both chilling and inescapable. The country frequently receives news coverage for its nuclear aspirations, unjust penal system, and horrendous human rights record. However, a recent academic study by Stephan Haggard and Marcus Noland uncovers yet another facet of the North Korean case: the power and inevitability of markets in the face of economic despair.
Since the reclusive nature of North Korea precludes any serious study of public opinion and social change, Haggard and Noland pursued the next best sample: North Korean defectors. In Witness to Transformation: Refugee Insights into North Korea, the authors describe the results and implications of two surveys, conducted between 2004 and 2008, completed by approximately 1,600 refugees living in China and South Korea. While the study sample is not random, multivariate regression demonstrates that most of the findings are generally applicable to the North Korean population at large. Simply put, this study gives us a unique look into the collective heart and mind of an otherwise impenetrable nation.
Click here to read the full article.
Related Links
Stephan Haggard can provide commentary on current developments in the Asia-Pacific, including particularly Korea, and on the politics of economic reform and globalization.
Visit Stephan Haggard and Marcus Noland's Blog on North Korea.
