North Korea is not easily accessible, but boasts some of the most beautiful scenery in the Korean Peninsula, and arguably in East Asia. Travel to and in North Korea is tightly controlled, while political, economic, social and cultural life is played out in terms of a not readily understood philosophy, known as juche.

J.E.Hoare is a former member of the Research and Analysis Cadre of the British Diplomatic Service. He served in Seoul (1981-85), Beijing (1988-91) and finally as Charge d Affaires and Consul General in Pyongyang (2001-2). He is a former Research Associate of the International Institute for Strategic Studies and is currently Research Associate at the London School of Oriental and African Studies. He has published extensively on both Korea and Japan, including "Japan s Treaty Ports and Foreign Settlements: The Uninvited Guests" (1994), "Britain and Japan: Biographical Portraits, Vol. III" (1999) and with his wife Susan Pares, "A Political and Economic Dictionary of East Asia" (2005) and "North Korea in the 21st Century" (2005).
Susan Pares is a former member of the Research and Analysis Cadre of the British diplomatic service. Susan served in the Beijing embassy in 1975-76. She is married to Jim Hoare and has lived in overseas for many years. She is closely associated with the British Association for Korean Studies and on her own and with Jim has published a number of articles and books."