Andrei Lankov

“The North Korean elite does have some sources of hope. The elite itself remains, on the surface at least, remarkably united. The lack of a civil society and very strong social control makes the emergence of resistance difficult.”

“The unavoidable spread of South Korean capital and information will put the North Korean government in a tight spot, to put it mildly.”

“Right now, no sane and unbiased person would be so stupid as to doubt that the North Korean state is very repressive.”

“If a North Korean university professor is suspected of insufficient enthusiasm for the system, they will be gone without a trace very quickly. Even the memory of the unlucky victim would likely disappear, since such topics are best not discussed in North Korea.”