Session 3 - October 29, 1994-2011

[cgao]

How did Kim Jong Il ensure regime survival? How did South Korea’s Sunshine Policy change international relations?

Video: The Two Koreas in the Kim Jong Il era (1994-2011): Nuclearization and the Sunshine Policy

 

 

Readings (download below):

• International Atomic Energy Agency, “Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.” 
• Ilpyong J. Kim, “Kim Jong Il’s Military-First Politics,” in North Korea: The Politics of Regime Survival, ed. Young Whan Kihl and Hong Nack Kim (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2006), 59-74.
• Andrei Lankov, The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia, rev. ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), 77-110.

Attachments:

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[Billie Johnson]

How did Kim Jong Il ensure regime survival? How did South Korea’s Sunshine Policy change international relations?

It was Kim Jong Il's move towards ensuring that he aligned himself with the military and its leaders that ensured his dynastic/regime rule. He needed the backing of people who were loyal and disciplined and this is what he drew him towards the military and away from the old guard that was fraught with corruption and and defection. His military-first policy provided a sense of security that eclipsed politics, he became even more powerful.

The Sunshine Policy opened talks and lines of communication not only between North and South Korea but also with the United States along with other countries. There was more economic investment into the North and humanitarian aid distributed. This was promising time that appeared to make way for more investment and opportunities for North Korea to perhaps join the South in a move towards democratization. It appeared to me that perhaps the south wanted North Korea to have a taste of democracy and see the possibilities it would afford itself if North Korea opened itself to the rest of the world. There was also mention of the resorts build in North Korea by Hyundai, are these the same resorts that Kim Jung Un has recently threatened to destroy? 

[Angelique Callicoat]

I teach Ayn Rand's Anthem, Orwell's Animal Farm and his "Politics and the English Language" and this week's reading connects so nicely with those texts, not to mention several of the texts that my colleagues teach: Hunger Games, Handmaid's Tale, and The Road. Up until now, I've only thought to build historical and current event connections to the US and European countries, but learning about North Korea's famine, the unofficial economy, and the ingeniuity of the citizenry in rapidly deteriorating living conditions followed by a rapidly loosened system makes me think I need to broaden my supplemental text selection. 

I would like to know more about the "Military First" theory of "Immortal Sociopolitical Body" and how that ideology was rolled out to a population who remembered and lived within Kim Il Sung's juche ideology of "self-identity". The militiary-first approach seems likes the absorption of the self into the state. Rather than finding the self within the "most correct Marx-Leninist-oriented guiding philosophy", the "military first" philosophy gives (or does not give) immortal life to a citizen. The timing of this new philosophy, with the country reeling from millions of famine deaths and a collapse of the national economy and industry, is so interesting, and I just want to know more about the how and why. The KWP no doubt had lost a great deal of emotional credibility with the famine and nation-wide industry breakdown, so replacing the entire thing with military grandeur and strength not only gave way to better in-country optics, but also offered up some pretty strong intimidation to countries like China, US, Japan, and Russia. 

I would also like to know more about how the Sunshine Policy from South Korea was met by North Koreans military leaders internally. With Kim Jong Il finally consolidating his power in his own way, how did the three olive branches from South Korea shake up the fairly new regime? Who was all for building stronger connection with South Korea and who was resistent?

 

[Len Krieger]

Angelique,

I enjoyed reading your post and wanted to add on to what you said about the KWP proverbially beefing up their military prowess and making that the main focus of that time. I think this is smart on many different levels, mainly because if it didn't scare the Super Powers you alluded to already, it at least put this area of the two Koreas back on the radar.

More often then not in history, when we see countries suffer from catastrophic events such as war, civil unrest, epidemics spreading, infrastructure destruction, and in this case famine; the last thing on a lot of countries minds is the strength of their military at that point and time. Most countries we have seen in History (Germany and France to name a few) during times similar to this are trying to lick their wounds, gather their bearings, and rebuild the entire country from the ground up and not just put all their eggs into the military basket. Military strength though is not only a good morale booster for the people of the country that needed one, but it also can ensure the hope of a new day where the situation they were in would not be allowed to happen again.

[Gail Shaw-Hawkins]

The Sunshine Policy produced a vigorous economic between the North and South Korea. The objectives of the Sunshine Policy were more detailed and extensive than any of the previous policies towards North Korea. Moreover, it had a positive effect on inter-Korean relations among the two countries. But there was a negative effect also because several counties believe that the Sunshine policy was unequal, and the South was being used by the North. Also,  because President Bush had a distrust for Kim Jong II and the North Korean regime and promise to punish any terrorist group from North Korea he believed the  policy was not going to work.

[Billie Johnson]

Hi all!  I found it interesting that during the Sunshine Policy there were these fruitful relationships that appeared to be prospering. Then I saw this in the news last week and have been watching the developments unfold. Here is the link: 

North Korean leader orders South's hotels at resort destroyed

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-50152253

[Gail Shaw-Hawkins]

North Korea Says It's Running Out of Patience With U.S. 'Cold War Mentality'

https://time.com/5711648/north-korea-us-running-out-of-patience/

[Len Krieger]

Here were some of the things I found interesting week 3 based off the answers I received for the questions I asked on zoom.

Repositories set up and national effort laid off a lot no full time contingent workers osterity which caused mass hysteria

The statues pictured in the video were built and that is because NK is famous for statue making but they were moslty exhibited to show respect and in some cases idol worship.

The NGO's provided by America, fed the people and allowed people not to die in North Korea, and NK actually asked for aid from the West which was shocking.

It takes North Korea a while to do things in regard to the question I asked about why it took so long for them to allow farmers to sell excess crops and the free market was good because it made the farmers work harder for NK.

I like that the Fifa WorldCup Soccer event helped provide a healing moment to Japan and South Korea they were thrilled to co host especially SK.

 

 

 

 

[Maria Blake]

        There were some interesting points that were discussed in the PowerPoint related to the years 1994-2011in both Koreas, and most of them were new to me and helped me understand better the current affairs related to the political relations between N. Korea and the U.S., or the rest of the world. The historical accounts described in the presentation explain how the tensions that dominate the diplomatic communications between N. Korea and other countries came into being. Learning about the history of both Koreas help us appreciate more the present and pursue ways to better resolve any issues that might arise as a result of the critical presence  Korea plays on a global stage;  the more people know about such conditions, also, the more prepared and successful countries will become at limiting the potential of a potentially disastrous nuclear warfare outbreak. 

            The new information about N. Korea contributed to increase my understanding about the influence of governments to shape the political and economic realities in societies. In this sense, my initial impression about N. Korea of being homogeneously a country that is resistant to westernization, because of a willing embrace of the ideals of the government, has been recalibrated to reflect the dominant presence of the government in the life of the people that leaves little space for thinking otherwise, or reacting against the expected norms. The government left their people to fend of themselves speaks volumes of the above, as it is that many people suffer from famine in the country and Korean government does little to lift the economic sanctions directed at the country  by the U.S. and other countries; the latter criticize the country’s isolationist policies and its refusal to accept monitoring of its military buildup, and particularly of its nuclear capabilities and trade of nuclear weapons with other countries, such as  the middle east.  If governments, thus, are at a disagreement, or at odds with each other, as is the case between N. Korea and the rest of the world, the people in N. Korea will continue to suffer. 

            Nonetheless, it was surprising to see how, regardless of such circumstances, the power inheres in the present and the possibility of progress in the relations between and among nations that takes place in the present. For example, in the presentation we learn about the meeting between Madame Albright, the U.S. Secretary of State, who went to visit the president of N. Korea in 2000, and gave him a basketball signed by Michael Jordan, and American movies, which highlights the humanity of the president. Another interesting event was when the New York philharmonic went to perform in N. Korea, and the musicians from the two countries were seeing each other without the weight of political failures on their shoulders but as human beings with the ability to find happiness and peace in the midst of other people of the same, or different national background. 

            Moreover, the potential for improvement in the relations between the North and South Korea exists in the way the two countries find ways to communicate, even if not yet vibrant. One example was the one of Hyundai, the president of the automobile company, who sent 1001 cows to N. Korean people to return a small favor, or when Hyundai built a summer resort in the north for the S. Koreans.  

            Finally, the content would be of interest to students who are curious about other countries and interested in how they are doing as a country and its lifestyle. Asia, also,  is increasingly becoming a topic of discussion in the news, particularly, as information about nuclear weapons becomes of interest and concern, and when such issues affect the relation of individuals to the environment and their future. In our study of literature, we broach a little on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; thus, the reference to the nuclear capability of N. Korea helps make history be of more relevance, since any wrong diplomatic step can lead to the use of dangerous weapons that can force humanity to experience the mistakes of the past, unless students are aware of such risks and become proactive about their future through their choices and proactive actions. 

 

 

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