"Rationality in the North Korean Regime explores the history of the Kim family, examining cases of provocations from the Korean War to the August 2015 land mine incident to assess the regime's rationality." -- Provided by publisher.

The Korean War: rational but failed war of reunification -- The Second Korean war: mix of rational and irrational choices -- The 1976 Ax Murders: rational miscalculation at Panmunjom -- Export of terror in the 1980s: redux of rational and irrational choices -- The Arduous March during the 1990s: rational use of diplomacy -- The era of axis of evil: rational use of nuclear threats and diplomacy -- The Cheonan and Yeonpyeong Island attacks: the rational use of force -- The new Byungjin line: nuclear ICBM-first politics -- Limited war of legitimacy: August 2015 landmine incident.