Examines the current situation in the two Koreas in terms of three major crises: the nuclear confrontation between the US and North Korea, the North Korean famine, and the South Korean financial crisis. The future of the Korean peninsula is explored under three alternative scenarios: successful reform in North Korea, collapse and absorption, and "muddling through," in which North Korea makes regime-preserving reforms that fall short of fundamental transformation. Noland has been a visiting scholar at the Korea Development Institute. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
