"Juche" in the Hermit Kingdom

JUCHE:

Juche. This single word, which is literally translated to mean “main subject,” represents an ideology that continues to have a profound influence on nearly every sector of North Korean life. Not only is Juche the official state ideology of North Korea, it has also shaped political policy, military strategy, economics and is even considered by some to be a religion.

HISTORY:

As one Korean Times reporter explains, the true meaning and history behind the Juche philosophy is muddled. Kim Il-Sung reportedly first spoke about the Juche idea in December of 1955, while addressing high-ranking members of the Korean Worker’s Party and denouncing North Korea’s dependence on Soviet culture and ideology. With the underlying context of the Sino-Soviet split in the 1960s, Juche began to develop from a concept of aggressively asserting North Korean national identity and independence into a uniquely tailored form of Marxism-Leninism that eventually became the country’s official political ideology after the fall of the Communist bloc.

However, the definition of Juche continued to grow to encompass more aspects of North Korean policy, including self-reliance and self-defense. According to the official Democratic People’s Republic of Korea web page, the Eternal President Kim Il-Sung applied the Juche philosophy to three specific areas of the state: politics, military and economics. The Stanford Journal of East Asian Affairs report titled “The Political Philosophy of Juche,” references the following portion of Kim Il-Sung’s famous Juche speech. 

“ The Government of the Republic will implement with all consistency the line of independence, self-sustenance and self-defense to consolidate the political independence of the country, build up more solidly the foundations of an independent national economy capable of insuring the complete unification, independence and prosperity of our nation and increasing the country’s defense capabilities, so as to safeguard the security of the fatherland reliably by our own force, by splendidly embodying our Party’s idea of Juche in all fields.”

The North Korean capital city of Pyongyang features a monument to this fundamental ideology, called the Tower of the Juche Idea. The tower, which stands over 500 feet tall was created to commemorate Kim Il-Sung's 70th birthday.

POLITICS:

In the political sphere, the Juche philosophy emphasizes independence so that the government can “protect the dignity of the nation.”  In North Korea, this deep-seated fear of imperial control manifests itself into the extreme isolationism and an intolerance of outside influence that earned the nation its infamous nickname: The Hermit Kingdom. This rejection of the outside world does not only apply to foreign ideas, but also foreign people. Tourism was only recently allowed in North Korea, most speculate because the nation is in need of the money that tourism brings. However, according to recent news broadcasts from Chinese New Tang Dynasty Television, North Korea is already threatening to terminate their existing tourism agreement. 

The few journalists that have been granted access to North Korea describe being severely restricted. A New Zealand Herald reporter Jim Eagles recounts his time spent as a tourist in North Korea in the article titled “Secrets of the Hermit Kingdom." Eagles describes visiting tourist sites devoid of locals because “the regime doesn’t want visiting foreigners having contact with ordinary people, lest they pollute the purity of the way of life created by Great Leader Kim Il Sung…” The article also outlines the stringent rules tourists must obey to avoid being detained. Foreigners are forbidden from taking mobile phones, laptops, MP3 players, binoculars, South Korean newspapers or magazines and camera lenses bigger that 150mm. Furthermore, visitors cannot take photos of North Korean people or buildings unless at a designated tourist spot. Eagles recalls a “minder” checking hundred of pictures on his camera before he was allowed to leave the country.

The North Korean government has covered nearly all of its bases in terms of maintaining Juche by keeping the nation isolated and safe from political corruption and potential destruction. The country has been described as “the worst Internet black hole” and is all but completely off the grid. This New York Times article describes the extent of the technology censorship in North Korea, where television and radios are wired to receive only government-controlled frequencies and cell phones have been banned since 2004. That is not to say, however, that the government is unaware of or unable to navigate the World Wide Web. In 2000, Kim Jung-Il publicly asked the former secretary of state Madeleine Albright for her e-mail address. The government also has its own official website as well as its official news agency website, both of which are used more or less as promotional tools and platforms for distributing propaganda.

One of the fatal flaws of the Juche political approach is the risk that political propaganda will be identified and rejected. Propaganda is not a new development in North Korea, but despite the government’s best efforts, many citizens are now beginning to recognize films and artwork as propaganda. One such defector turned artist named Sun Mu has won fame in South Korea for his propaganda style parodies of the North Korean regime. He describes the manufactured smile that he and his classmates were taught as small children, citing this memory as inspiration for his “Happy Children” series.

This painting, which is part of Mu's "Happy Children" collection, is meant to satirize the propaganda art and manufactured happiness if North Koreans. Mu hopes that those who view this painting can hear the children asking "Do you really thing we're happy?"

Another way in which the government upholds the Juche ideal to the extreme is by censoring the news. An analysis by the Committee to Protect Journalists declared North Korea to be the most censored Country in the world, with no independent journalists and only government-specified frequencies for radio and television. The 2010 Reporters Without Borders “World Press Freedom Index” ranks the country in second to last place, making it only slightly more free that Eritrea. Given these circumstances it is not uncommon for foreign journalists to be detained and even imprisoned for minor offenses, including accidentally following a tour guide over the border on a frozen lake, as was the infamous story of Euna Li and Laura Ling.

MILITARY:

Juche is interpreted as self-defense in the military sector. The official DPRK web page synthesizes the nation’s military strategy as follows: “It is of paramount importance to protect the country with invincible military strength, which will safeguard the revolutionary achievements of the Motherland from hostile Yankee imperialism and the action of its stooges.” Based on the nation’s history and rocky relationship with the United States it is not surprising that North Korea has kept up this Juche style military strategy of ultimate defensiveness. 

It appears as though North Korean officials believe in the old adage that the best defense is a good offense and they have no qualms about violating UN Resolutions by test launching their latest missiles. In fact, just recently a South Korean newspaper reported that the North Korean forces test-fired their latest short-range missiles just last week. This is a fairly normal occurrence but South Korean officials are more sensitive to this particular missile test given that it followed the North Korean National Defense Commission’s formal threats. The primary reason for this excess military tension seems to stem from Southern anti-communist propaganda. A China Daily article explains the situation: “Pyongyang will take unspecified ‘physical actions’ against Seoul over its propaganda campaign…the DPRK also said it planned to cut off communications along the countries’ eastern border and shut down a liaison office.” The article also points out that we shouldn’t be surprised by these threats since both Koreas are still technically at war with each other; their 1950-53 conflict ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. 

North Korea upholds Juche in the military sector by maintaining a large army and acting self-defensively at all times so as not to appear vulnerable to foreign imperials powers. 

The North Korean military is another place that the nation may run into trouble with the Juche model. The blatant disregard for UN policy and vigilant military practices in North Korea have put the nation on thin ice with many foreign countries, especially the United States and South Korea.

ECONOMICS:

The most commonly recognized interpretation of Juche within North Korean society is self-reliance in economics. The idea is that through its own industrial capability and military self-defense, North Korea can avoid the controlling influence of imperialist powers. The North Korean government website paraphrases the Eternal President, stating: “Implementation of the Juche idea [in economics] avoids economic crises as well as dependence on outside forces…it secures the development and prosperity of the nation.”

In theory this has the potential to be a viable economic policy, but it can also be the final ingredient for creating the perfect humanitarian storm if domestic capability is not enough to produce necessary supplies to sustain North Korea’s expanding population of more than 24,000,000 people. This is the exact situation that North Korea is facing right now due to a particularly harsh winter, which reduced crop yield by up to half leaving more than 6 million North Koreans in urgent need of food aid, according to a China Post article. An Economist article titled “Let them eat Juche”  describes the deteriorating conditions. Families in rural areas of North Korea are adding tree-bark and grass to their diet and foraging for food in the wild; some have already died.  

It is estimated that between 500,000 and 1 million North Koreans died during the severe famine in the 1990s. Food shortages are a cyclical occurrence in this nation because of the harsh climate and Juche rejection of foreign reliance.

This is not the first time North Korea has been in this position and without reform, it may not be the last. In the 1990s, hundreds of thousands of North Koreans died in a severe famine, due in part to a strict adherence to the Juche policy of self-reliance. In 2009, Kim Jung-Il kicked all U.S. aid groups out of the country, refusing to take favors from a former imperialist power and historical enemy, despite the growing food shortages. The Economist article suggests that North Korea’s “chronic food crisis” is a result of reckless foreign policy that may deter potential foreign donors and an antiquated economic system (Juche), which leave little resources to pay for imported food aid. This time around, a U.S. delegation is going to visit Pyongyang in order to assess the situation and determine the best way to ensure that food aid will, in fact, reach the people who need it. The U.S. discontinued their delivery of rice to North Korea a few years back because of discrepancies over distribution transparency.  Another red flag causing hesitation among other nations is the fact that it is difficult to trust the North Korean government, which seems to be pursuing missiles programs despite its dire food shortages.

RELIGION:

Though North Korea is technically a communist nation and therefore atheist by definition, some have argued o that Juche has all of the components to be considered a religion.  A prominent U.S. religious research website, Adherents.com, named Juche as the world’s 10^th largest religion.  The site estimates the number of believers to be 19 million, according to the Asia Times article titled "God forbid, religion in North Korea?" The site also provides many justifications for classifying the state ideology as a religion, including the fact that it is so influential in the daily lives of so many people. While this view is not necessarily shared in North Korea, it is not absurd. North Koreans view their Eternal President Kim Il-Sung as a god-like figure, praising and worshipping his image and subsequently, his ideology of Juche.  

This propaganda poster portrays Juche as a quasi-religion. Certain religious research sites argue that Juche is, in fact, the world's 10th largest religion.

Though Juche is a fairly complicated ideology in that it lends itself differently to each aspect of society, there is no denying that it profoundly influences daily life in North Korea. Thus far, Kim Jung-Il has continued to conduct foreign and domestic policy according to the Juche theories that his father came up with, even to a fault in the midst of an escalating food crisis and military tension. In a time where information is readily accessible for many and technology has been used to establish connections and spark political change, it will be interesting to see whether the Juche policies of independence, self-defense and self-reliance will hold up against a population that is growing hungrier each day, but being fed nothing but propaganda. It seems difficult to imagine why a revolution like that in Egypt has not yet been attempted in North Korea; the fact that it hasn’t (or at least that we haven’t heard about it) lends further credibility to the argument that North Koreans embrace Juche with religious fervor that many foreign people will never quite understand.

International Media Response to Osama bin Laden's Death

To say that the world’s reaction to Osama bin Laden’s death was mixed is certainly an understatement. While many western nations welcomed the news – some more visibly than others – not everyone shared this sentiment. After searching through archived articles from various media sources across the globe, it became evident that each country’s point of view was visible in their reporting of this newsworthy event. Essentially, each country’s religious beliefs and past experiences with bin Laden and al-Qaeda shaped their news coverage, whether that meant subtly hinting at their views, getting caught up in the excitement and falsely reporting certain details or openly expressing their skepticism.

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Many Americans gathered outside the White House to celebrate the death of the most wanted face of terrorism, Osama bin Laden

Upon hearing the news that an elite team of U.S. Navy Seals had killed Osama bin Laden, many Americans unabashedly celebrated. Those in close proximity to the White House in Washington D.C. took to the streets, sporting patriotic clothing and chanting “Osama bin Gotten!” While they did so in a slightly less obvious and visceral way, the American news media reacted in a similar way on May 2nd and in the weeks to follow. One must keep in mind that most Americans have an understandably biased view of bin Laden because of his involvement in the 9/11 terrorists attacks that killed thousands in New York. That being said, the initial reporting of bin Laden’s death admittedly carried a tone of satisfaction and pride. On the extreme side of the spectrum, a New York Times columnist wrote this inflamed editorial just minutes after watching Obama’s speech: “This is revenge, but it’s also deterrence and also means that bin Laden won’t kill any more Americans. This is the single most important success the United States has had in its war against al Qaeda.” One could argue that in the heat of the moment, this columnist failed to put bin Laden’s death into context. While he does examine the possibility of a backlash of sympathy or revenge if Americans “continue appear too celebratory and triumphant dancing on [Osama’s] grave,” he seems more concerned with how “finally getting bin Laden” will positively affect the reputation of the United States as a powerful and influential nation. He touches on the reality that killing bin Laden is not the same as killing al-Qaeda, but fails to go into depth. Perhaps this is because he wrote the piece so hastily, which raises another point about the Western coverage: In their excitement and haste, did journalists fail to report the truth? Is it better to get the story first, or to get the story right?

It seems that with events of this magnitude, getting the news out as quickly as possible trumps waiting to confirm accuracy. In the media frenzy that followed the announcement of bin Laden’s death, details of the attack were reported that later turned out to be false. One such detail was the account that Osama had used one of his wives as a human shield, and that she had subsequently died. Whether this was merely the result of the media blindly and hastily repeating White House officials, or a subconscious attempt to portray bin Laden as the epitome of evil, we may never know. We do, however, know that this detail was falsely reported. According to a Reuters article, “the woman killed during the raid of Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan was not his wife and was not used as a human shield by the al Qaeda leader before his death.” The woman who died was the wife of another man living on the compound and she was reportedly caught in the firefight. Bin Laden’s wife was injured but not killed. And let us not forget the clearly-Photoshopped pictures of bin Laden's mutilated face that was published by many a newspaper.

This photograph was published by many world newspapers despite the fact that it is obviously edited. Not until days later was the image officially dismissed as fake.

Russian media was very supportive of the events that transpired on May 2nd, according to an article in The Moscow Times. The article, titled “Kremlin Got Tip on Bin Laden’s Death,” highlights the open lines of communication and sense of camaraderie between the U.S. and Russia since both have experience al-Qaeda first hand. Apparently, Russian authorities were informed of bin Laden’s death before Obama made any public announcements; perhaps this was Obama’s attempt to return the favor after past-President Putin called past-President Bush shortly after the 9/11 attacks. The article cited that 2001 phone call as a turning point in U.S. – Russian relations at the time. The Kremlin was quoted as saying, “[The Kremlin] welcomes the serious success achieved by the United States in the fight against international terrorism,” and also said that Russia is committed to expanding cooperation in order to fight global terrorism as a unified front. While the article seemed slightly slanted and promotional (both of Russian efforts and post Cold War Russian-U.S. relations), it clearly communicated that Russia both believed and supported the killing of bin Laden.

Other non-Western countries seemed to be much quicker to analyze the potential consequences that may arise as a result of the U.S. killing bin-Laden. A Lebanese online newspaper, The Daily Star, examined the global ramifications the killing of bin Laden might have in an article titled “World on alert after U.S. kills bin Laden.” The rhetorical difference between this headline and those of Western stories is worth noting; this title immediately assigns responsibility and blame to the U.S., whereas other titles such as “Osama bin Laden Dead,” or “Bin Laden’s Bizarre Death” are more evasive. This particular article’s lead got straight to the possibility of revenge: “World leaders warned of revenge attacks after Osama bin Laden was killed in a U.S. assault…” Another rhetorical discrepancy between Western articles and this article is the word chosen to describe what took place on that evening in Pakistan. This Lebanese article uses the more violent and offensive term, “assault,” while a New York Times article called it a “targeted operation.” Overall, the minor word choices were the only hints of bias in the otherwise comprehensive and objective article.



Another predominately Muslim nation was not so impartial. An Iranian news site called Payvand published an article expressing officials’ refusal to believe that bin Laden had actually been killed on May 2nd and desire to see photographic evidence (something many Americans also wanted). The article quoted the head of the Ministry of Intelligence in Iran, Heydar Moslehi, reading: “Moslehi…has accused the U.S. of fabricating its account of Osama bin Laden’s death, alleging that bin Laden had died much earlier from health complications.” The article went on to report that Moslehi had announced that “Iran is in possession of ‘accurate information and reliable and significant documents’ regarding bin Laden’s death.” It seems counterintuitive that Iranian officials would not welcome this news since Iran is primarily Shiite and bin Laden was a Sunni extremist whose followers actually killed Shiites and Iranian soldiers. This LA Times article on the subject presents an interesting point: perhaps whatever is considered a victory for the U.S. is assumed to be defeat for the Islamic Republic of Iran. This theory, along with the rocky relationship between the U.S. and Iran, may explain the deeply critical and dismissive nature of Iranian news coverage of bin Laden’s death.

In an Indonesian editorial titled “When democracy bit itself in the bum,” a columnist compares the killing of bin Laden to the pruning of flowering trees: “one dies, a thousand others grow to take its place.” The columnist continued on with yet another metaphor for the killing of bin Laden and its subsequent effect on global terrorism: the chopping off of one of the hydra’s heads. She asserts that this will likely only exacerbate terrorism and is quick to criticize Americans, suggesting they should spend their time figuring out what happens next instead of celebrating.

A Japanese article references this same multi-headed mythological Greek beast, which was said to grow two heads back for every one head that was cut off (suggesting that the killing of bin Laden will result in an even stronger terrorist force). The Japan Times piece titled “Bin Laden’s bizarre death” reads: “Bin Laden was only the face of a hydra-headed terror monster that has been spreading tentacles in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Europe and America. But governments should remember that it is a monster best defeated by brains, not brute force.” This is a similar stance as Lebanese media in the sense that it focuses on the future consequences and the work still to be done in order to win the war on terror. However, as evidenced by the monster metaphor, the Japanese article revealed more of the writer’s opinion about bin Laden’s character and the nature of his legacy of terrorism.

Both Indonesian and Japanese articles compared killing bin Laden to chopping off one of this mythical beast's heads. They argue that for every head removed the Hydra grew two in its place, so for every terrorist leader killed the al Qaeda network will grow stronger and more fierce. 

News on this matter – opinions included – was few and far between in North Korea. Somewhat expectedly, the state-controlled media did not some much as mention that Osama bin Laden had been killed by U.S. Navy Seals. The country is known for its extremely low level of press freedom and is not particularly fond of the United States; one can only assume events such as these make Kim Jung-Il nervous because he too is seen as a threat to the U.S. The Daily NK, an activist online newspaper, did publish perhaps the first North Korean reaction to bin Laden’s death. The article references a Chosun Shinbo publication (put out by the General association of North Korean Residents in Japan) that is said to represent the stance of the North Korean authorities. This article asserts that the Shinbo article (which could not be found in the Internet), “heavily criticized the U.S., calling the killing the actions of an arrogant imperialist and an infringement of state sovereignty.” Instead of associating bin Laden with terrorism, this Shinbo article turns the tables on the U.S., stating: “The U.S. is a really frightening state and its terror will get more serious. The U.S. is digging its own grave.” Given what we know about North Korea, it may very well be safe to assume that these sentiments expressed in the Shinbo article are reflective of how authorities reacted to the news.

It seems as though large-scale international news such as the recent death/killing/assassination (circle verb of choice) of Osama bin Laden are best at bringing out differing media responses from around the world. With a topic as controversial as this, it appears that no country is able to keep their opinion separate from their news coverage, if they cover it at all. Some media outlets only subtly revealed their bias through violent and accusatory language, while others had no qualms about sharing their criticism and skepticism. Others still found themselves swept up in the fast-paced media frenzy and had a difficult time verifying information or containing their excitement. Completely objective journalism is an ideal that is expected but hardly ever achieved, especially when each country has a unique point of view on such a controversial world event.

Life in North Korea (Documentary)

Minutes: 1:23-2:24; 7:00-8:13

* Titled "A State of Mind"
* Made in 2004 by BBC Director, Daniel Gordon
* Follows two young gymnasts and their families to the Mass Games
* Rare insight into North Korean society
* Initially I found clip from a Dutch film (A Day in the Life) but research showed it was straight propaganda (director worked with government on the film) - this felt a bit more accurate in its portrayal of life in NK

Osama Coverage in North Korea

The ONLY thing I could find through North Korean media was an opinion-editorial piece written for the Asia Times online newspaper. It sought to answer the questions of why the U.S. could not simply get rid of Kim Jung-Il.  It was linked to the following tweet by NK Today:

The article is hyperlinked above, but can also be found here: http://www.nktoday.com/contents/view_content2/6409/kim-jong-il-safe-from-osamas-fate-for-now-asia-times

Foreign Twitter/News Site

Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/nktodaynews

About -

Tweets -

News Site - http://www.kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm (Korean Central News Agency)

About -

Stories - http://www.kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm

VERSUS

News Site - http://www.dailynk.com/english/
About -

Stories - http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=7633

Assignment #2 - American Perceptions of North Korea

I will preface this post by revealing my pre-interview thoughts. I expected that most people I interviewed would have at least some knowledge of North Korean geography, politics and history because the country has a past that involves the United States. To some extent this proved to be the case, but I was surprised that hardly anyone knew of a recent event involving North Korea (since it has been in the news recently). This led me to infer that perhaps the majority of the Americans I spoke with had obtained their knowledge of the nation from their studies of U.S. and World history, rather than their consumption of news.

Although I only spoke with six individuals, I made an effort to hear from a diverse group of people, mainly in terms of education level and age. I interviewed a high-school sophomore, two adults in their mid-50s (one of whom had gone through Graduate school), a UCSC Junior with a History and Politics double major, a Cal Poly Graphic Communications Sophomore and a Pre-Law student currently living in Argentina (who spent middle school and most of high school living in California).

I asked each of these people the following six questions:

1.      What continent is North Korea located on?

2.      What is the capital of North Korea?

3.      What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about North Korea?

4.      Can you name a significant historical event that took place in or involved North Korea in the last century?

5.      What about in the last five years?

6.      In the last year?

The interviews got off to a great start with 100% of those interviewed correctly stating that North Korea is located on the continent of Asia. However, things quickly deteriorated. Only one of the six interviewees, albeit the History and Politics double major, knew that the capital of North Korea is Pyongyang. The others seemed puzzled when I revealed the answer to them, as if they had never heard of it before.

Political cartoons such as the one pictured above, illustrate the opinion that many Americans have about North Korean politics, both in terms of internal leadership and foreign policy.

Things got interesting when I asked the third question. Responses ranged from the obvious “not South Korea,” to the ambiguous “bombings,” and more accurate mentions of “communism,” “dictatorship” and “nuclear weapons.” One interviewee not so eloquently described the leadership in North Korea, referring to “that crazy mother-f@#*er Kim Jung-Il.”

In terms of North Korea’s history, it was apparent that my sample of the American population was hardly familiar with any major events that occurred after the Korean War. In fact, all six of those interviewed immediately cited the Korean War as a significant historical event involving North Korea in the last century. Questions 5 and 6 proved to be much more challenging. Only one participant was able to answer the questions with anything other than an apologetic “I’m not sure.” That interviewee, not coincidentally the History and Politics double major, mentioned the testing of nuclear weapons and the North Korean threat to use force if U.S.-imposed sanctions are not removed.

The Korean War is the most memorable historical event that involved North Korea in the past century. Every participant mentioned it in response to Question #4.

I was somewhat taken aback by the lack of answers to the final questions. I was expecting people to be more familiar with the current events involving North Korea, since they oftentimes involve the United States and are mentioned in the national news media. Granted, had I not spent the past few weeks researching any and all things North Korea, I may not have been able to answer these questions myself.

My fellow classmates’ accounts of their experiences with this assignment, coupled with my own findings, confirmed what I feared would be the outcome of this exercise. Regrettably, it seems as though Americans have a very limited knowledge of what goes on in other parts of the world. I am by no means implying that all Americans are ignorant of foreign affairs, but my small sample hardly proved otherwise. Whether this is the result of diminished foreign coverage or simply a lack of interest I cannot say for certain.  Today’s society encourages us to “think globally,” but can we truly do so without basic knowledge of the countries that make up our world?

(Not in word count)

Interviewees 

1.     Kathleen Kase, 50, San Diego, Paralegal

2.     Matt Hollenbeck, 15, LCCHS, Encinitas

3.     Steve Hollenbeck, 53, Encinitas, VP of Marketing

4.     Michael Christy, 19, UCSC Junior, History/Politics double Major

5.     Sofia Lana, 20, Pre-law in Argentina (lived in the U.S. for 5 years)

6.     Lena Haidar, 19, Cal poly Sophomore, Graphic Communications Major

Assignment #1: North Korean Family and Politics

Portraits of rulers Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il hang in every North Korean home. 

April 15^th happens to be North Korea’s most important holiday. It marks the anniversary of “Eternal President of the Republic” Kim Il-Sung’s birthday. Leading up to this national celebration, inspection teams from the Korean Worker’s Party march from home to home checking on the maintenance of portraits of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il. If a portrait is damaged or dusty, the household has failed and is subject to public ridicule. Interactions such as this between the government and the people in North Korea illustrate the visible influence that the former has on the latter.

Following the Japanese surrender during World War II in 1945, the Korean peninsula was divided into two occupational zones. Three years later, with Soviet support, the North became the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with Kim Il-Sung ruling until his death as both the Secretary General of the only active political party (communist Korean Worker’s Party) and the President. He left behind a legacy of rigid governmental control and documented human rights restrictions.

Currently, Kim Jong-Il - Kim Il-Sung’s son - presides over North Korea as the General Secretary of the KWP, Supreme Commander of the People’s Armed Forces and Chairman of the National Defense Committee. A recent BBC News article reports, “The next generation of the Kim family is even now being groomed to take this dynasty into its sixth decade.”

North Korea's ailing leader Kim Jong-Il appears to be preparing his youngest son as his successor

The fact that political power in this country has remained within the same family is reflected in the society’s family structure. One North Korean man’s account of his own family suggests that households typically consist of at least three generations under the same roof.

Somewhat paradoxically, given the current political climate in the country it can be extremely difficult for families to stay together. One could reasonably infer that the government plays a large role in breaking up families, both indirectly and directly.

The highly-centralized communist government encourages a hierarchical society, which, according to Yop’s Memoirs, “caused the relationship between parent and child or brother and sister to break apart, divide the people and make them regard one another with hostility.” 

In North Korea, the government restricts nearly every aspect of society including the ability to criticize and/or change the government and the ability to communicate openly. The country ranks second to last out of 178 others listed in the World Press Freedom Index and imprisonment of citizens who are not loyal is commonplace. One could understand why certain citizens might want to head south in search of freedom.

However, the North Korean government has a firm zero tolerance policy on dissent and defection, regardless of how it inevitably affects family life. A few weeks ago, authorities reportedly issued a decree stating: “persons found to have communicated with persons outside North Korea are to be sent to a reeducation camp and their families exiled.” This policy has left thousands of families of defectors feeling anxious and defectors feeling guilty, fearing the worst has happened to the loved ones they left in North Korea.

North Koreans enjoy a tearful but brief reunion with family members from South Korea after being separated for many years.