On 1 October, the long-awaited book “De Wereld volgens Noord-Korea” (The World According to North Korea) by the Netherlands’ leading Korea expert, Remco Breuker, was published. On 7 October, this was celebrated with an inspiring book presentation at De Vries Van Stockum bookshop in The Hague.

During the event, Remco Breuker, professor of Korean Studies at Leiden University, gave a brief introduction to his book, sharing his vision and research. Chaired by Michel Michaloliákos, there were short presentations by Casper Wits, a researcher specialising in East Asia (Leiden University), and journalist Hassnae Bouazza, who recently made a documentary about South Korea together with Remco Breuker.

The World According to North Korea
The news that North Korean soldiers were fighting on the Russian side in Ukraine came as a surprise to many in 2024. Despite its closed and repressive nature, North Korea is increasingly showing international ambitions. The country is seeking closer ties with Russia, is active in southern Africa and maintains contacts with the Middle East. According to North Korea expert Remco Breuker, the country may be on the eve of its greatest period of prosperity since the Korean War in the 1950s.

Remco Breuker
Prof. Dr Remco Breuker (1972) is the Netherlands’ leading Korea expert, professor, historian and translator. He is a historian specialising in Korea and Northeast Asia, with a focus on the medieval history of Korea and Northeast Asia and contemporary North Korean affairs. He has been professor of Korean Studies at Leiden University since 2011. His previous publications include De BV Noord-Korea (2018) and De Koreaanse golf (2023). He is also a geopolitical analyst for Korea at the Hague Institute GeopoliticsNow.

The book presentation was organised by the publisher Ambo, LeidenGlobal and The Hague Institute GeopoliticsNow in collaboration with bookshop De Vries van Stockum and Leiden University.

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