North Korea is commonly thought of as the most mysterious place in the world. The country is marked by its opacity and inaccessibility, its inner workings seen as impossible for outsiders to grasp. In this groundbreaking book, the leading scholar and practitioner Victor D. Cha shines a light into the “black box” of North Korea and draws critical lessons for the possible reunification of Korea after many decades of division.

The Black Box demonstrates convincingly that North Korea, while far from transparent, is less inscrutable than is typically assumed. Using innovative research methods from data scraping to ethnography, including microsurveys of ordinary North Koreans, Cha unearths a trove of new information. Through these pioneering findings, and incorporating his experiences as a White House official negotiating with North Korean interlocutors and traveling to North Korea, he paints a vivid picture of this enigmatic country and develops a grounded account of its behavior. Cha explores the regime’s core tendencies, its policies toward the U.S.–South Korea alliance, cybersecurity threats, the potential for economic development, the growth of a nascent civil society, and pathways toward Korean unification, among other topics. The Black Box provides both an essential understanding of contemporary North Korea and an insightful guide to studying the country from one of the world’s most esteemed experts.

Victor Cha and his team of researchers demand a new mindset. They insist on novel approaches to unveiling the mystery of North Korea. Like the UN Commission of Inquiry, ten years earlier, they call for fidelity to the search for the truth. This is no small task, given the isolation of the country. The COI used transparent public hearings and digital media. This book goes a step further. It employs innovative research methodologies: data scraping, ethnography, and unique micro-surveys of ordinary citizens. It calls on privileged insights into North Korea. Peace, human rights, and change will only come about by adopting fresh approaches of inquiry, to which the authors of this important book summon us. -- The Hon. Michael Kirby, Chair of the UN Commission of Inquiry on North Korea (2013-14)
In this unique and timely book, Professor Victor Cha and his team of researchers dispel the well-trodden tropes of North Korea by emphasizing rigorous research methods and data-driven analysis. The Black Box will surely transform how scholars and practitioners study and think about North Korea and the future of Korean unification. -- Andrew Yeo, author of State, Society, and Markets in North Korea
I recommend reading The Black Box for the author’s attempts to introduce new data and methods to shed light on aspects of the DPRK and issues in Korean reunification. -- Stephen Mercado * Asian Review of Books *
The Black Box improves our understanding of North Korea on a variety of topics...[and] provides ground for understanding how North Korea is likely to evolve in the coming years. -- Justin V. Hastings, University of Sydney * Pacific Affairs *

Victor D. Cha is Distinguished University Professor, D.S. Song-KF Endowed Chair, and professor of government in the Walsh School of Foreign Service and the Department of Government at Georgetown University. He serves in senior advisory positions for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Department of Defense Policy Board, and the National Endowment for Democracy. Cha previously served on the National Security Council as director for Asian affairs.