Only Beautiful, Please

Coverage of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) all too often focuses solely on nuclear proliferation, military parades, and the personality cult of its leaders. Asthe British ambassador to North Korea, John Everard had the rare experience of living there from 2006, when the DPRK conducted its first nuclear test, to 2008. While stationed in Pyongyang, Everard's travels around the nation provided him with numerous opportunities to meet and converse with North Koreans. Only Beautiful, Please goes beyond official North Korea to unveil the human dimensionof life in that hermetic nation. Everard recounts his impressions of the country andits people, his interactions with them, and his observations on their way of life. He alsoprovides a picture of the life of foreigners in this closed society, considers how the DPRKevolved to its current state, and offers thoughts on how to tackle the challenges that it throws up, in light of the failure of current approaches. The book is illustrated with often striking photographs taken by Everard during his stay in North Korea.