Korean Peninsula and World Politics a Study of North Korea Book Review

North Korea

The first words used in the National Geographic Explorer episode on North Korea, before any other introduction is said, are "mysterious" and "terrifying." The state of North Korea is known as the Hermit Kingdom, because it has been literally cut off from the rest of the world for decades. The narrator of the National Geographic Explorer episode calls it the "most isolated country on earth." Cellular phones are banned. There is no way of knowing what is going on over the border. North Korea is "terrifying" because fear is at the basis of the regime's method of social and political control. There are many reasons why North Korea has imposed a strict form of self-isolation. The root cause, as explained in the video, is that the Korean peninsula had been invaded one too many times. After the Japanese occupation, the Americans came to impose their will and finally, the communist North decided that the only way to prevent future invasions was to create the tightly controlled dictatorship. A series of political philosophies were developed to create social conformity with the ideals of North Korea. During the rule of Kim Il-sung, the concept of juche was developed and perfected. Juche refers to extreme self-reliance. The country will accept no outside help under any circumstances, and especially during times of crisis. It has become a matter of great national pride, even though the results of juche have been disastrous. Another aspect of North Korean political culture is a re-interpretation of the ancient doctrine of Confucianism. Confucianism suggests that harmony results from social conformity and obedience to rules no matter what. Finally, Park points out the importance of "songun" or militaristic politics. The combination of juche, Confucianism, and songun explain how and why North Korea is the way it is today.

When the film was produced, Kim Jong-il was the supreme leader. He had taken over from his father in what the film calls the "first communist dynastic handover" in the world. In other words, communism usually does not have family lines of dictators.The party chooses the next leader based on political motives. In the case of North Korea, Kim Jong-un is now the leader because he was the son of Kim Jung-il and the grandson of Kim Il-sung. The leaders are worshipped like gods, evident in the film by the way the people wave their hands and bow down with tears streaming down their cheeks. Even after a Nepalese doctor performs the eye surgery, the people do not thank him but they thank the "dear leader" by shouting praise before the portraits of Kim Jong-il and his father. The effect is like a religious revivalist meeting, because the people have been deeply brainwashed into the system.

Juche, the "politics of self-reliance" was first proposed and developed into its current form by Kim Il-Sung. The film substantiates French's claim that "juche permeates every aspect of North Korean life and is officially the ruling creed of the country, forming its national mythology," (30). As seen in the film, the people believe strongly that their leader has allowed them to have the best possible life. The Americans are scapegoated, and portrayed as the ultimate enemies to the North Korean state. Because of the philosophy of juche, the North Koreans feel that anything that happens is due to the benevolence of the great leader. It is a source of national pride and identity, even when children are dying. The negative aspects of juche are not openly acknowledged in North Korea. The film shows footage of starving children, but no one they talk to is willing to acknowledge that the supreme leader can do anything wrong. When the narrator asks one of the people if the leader can do wrong, he replies, "I don't understand the question."

The philosophy of songun goes hand-in-hand with juche. According to Park, songun was developed and promoted by Kim Jong-il. Songun is an extension of juche (Park). Songun is, according to Park, "the official state ideology" and it "must be viewed and….....