Comrades Beyond the Cold War

Description

North Korea was an important player in the decolonisation of Africa. Freedom fighters across the continent received vital assistance from Pyongyang, and almost all southern African independence leaders travelled to the North Korean capital at some point, in search of support. This alliance has continued into the twenty-first century, with African postcolonial governments throwing a lifeline to Pyongyang’s increasing isolated economy by hiring North Korean companies, despite the United Nations sanctions seeking to isolate the country.

Tycho van der Hoog examines the relations between victorious southern African liberation movements and North Korea, from the 1960s to the present. He explains why African presidents sang and danced at parties in Pyongyang, and why North Korean books were translated into Swahili and Afrikaans. He reveals how African soldiers were trained in guerrilla warfare by North Korean instructors, and how North Korean labourers construct monuments in Africa in the shape of AK-47s. And he explores the question of how revolutionary regimes, motivated by a need for survival, work together to defy the global order.

Based on extensive research across four continents—including recently disclosed African liberation archives and Korean diplomatic cables—this innovative study is the first book on African–North Korean relations.

Author(s)

Tycho van der Hoog is Assistant Professor of International Security Studies at the Netherlands Defence Academy. His work focuses on African international relations. He holds a PhD from the African Studies Centre of Leiden University, and has conducted extensive field research in Africa, Europe, the United States and South Korea.