Session 5 (July 23) - Depictions of North Korea

[Jane Hannon]

Kimberly, I have used a New York Times piece by photographer David Guttenfelder with my students. While the piece is getting old (2015) he traveled to North Korea repeatedly and my students are engaged by the vivid images, which really capture the humanity of the people. The fact that it is brief relative to a film or documentary is actually an asset since we are always so pressed for time. I believe it is called "Iliminating North Korea."

[Nancy Marvel]

I found this to be an interesting questions. My go to answer was that North Korea is usually seen as the “bad guy”, the country of major human rights abuses, a dictatorship, a place where propaganda rules, and a place whose citizens have limited freedoms. And while those may be true, it is not all that North Korea is and I need to reflect on my own understandings of North Korea. The reality is that before this class, my understanding was very limited. I started thinking about the culture of North Korea, and what I realized wasn’t that I had necessarily made up my mind about it, rather I hadn’t really ever thought about it other than what we see on television or read in papers and social media. I certainly never thought of a movie industry, I just assumed if there were films, they were for indoctrination purposes. I never thought of North Korea as a nation of music. From girl bands to the North Korean Orchestra, there is music. Although the music may be nationalistic in nature, that by no means lessens the beauty of it.

If you change the focus from Kim Jong-Un and the politics and all the negatives (poverty, hunger, repression, human rights abuses), then you can look a little deeper. Despite all the issues and friction between North and South Korea, it does seem that they try to humanize North Koreans and not portray them as monsters and villains. North Korea is also a country with beautiful landscapes, a strong people, art, literature (I have ordered The Girl With Seven Names from Amazon as I want to know the rest of the story), music, poetry and more. We need to find a way to see the people and culture as separate from the regime because would we really want to be judged solely on our current leadership, Donald Trump? No, there is far more to us as a people and our country -that’s what we need to remember.  

[Juana Evink]

Based on the video for today and the different documentaries portayed North Korea as reclusive, outdated, restrictive, different from South Korea, yet not so different. Outsiders views on North Korea depend on what type of information they have access to and where does that information comes from. North Korea's regime is really restrictive from what we can see in documentaries and readings. One of the readings, "Nothing to Envy," portrayes life in North Korea as harsh and deadly for people who challange the regime. The reading mentions that there are many different words for jail, and depending on the type of "crime" the type of labor camp the prisoner would be sent to and the lenght of time they are requiered to serve. Yet, North Korea also has an orchestra, and female groups who sing pronational songs. It seems that outsiders view of North Korea are that it's that of a controling regime that limits what people can do and think. On the video it mentions that there are some people who are willing to risk their lives to get information in and out of North Korea.

[Julie Wakefield]

Again, another loaded question because there are many different perspectives.

Some people don't know much as they choose not to follow anything related to North Korea other than what they might see in a news story or on a social media feed - so maybe a missile launch or potential meeting between the two governments.

I think there are a few different categories in which North Korean is seen by outsiders: the people (work camps, famine, brainwashing, and economic disparity etc); the dynasty of the Kim family; the fear North Korea can create around it's actions.  They may be more but these are the three I will address.

Outside of North Korea, many believe much of the country lives in poverty, lives meal to meal (and misses many meals), the people lack daily luxuries like running water and inside plumbing. They lived in a state of fear of being punished for crimes their family members may have commited (rule of 3 generations). Their education solely revolves around the ideologies and texts written by the dynasty itself. There is little to no official information about the rest of the world, yet there is a lot of smuggling and black market activities. While most are subsistence farmers, there are an elite few who live in Pyongyang and have access to almost all the luxuries the rest of the world has - with the exception of information about the rest of the world.

The Kim family is also known...they are viewed as dictatorial leaders who live in luxury and allow their people to live in poverty. The rumors of the video collection and preference for imported, expensive whiskey(?) and cigars (?) - I don't remember exactly. The current leader received part of his education in Switzerland and has continued to live the lavish (unhealthy) lifestyle of his father. There is little known but more and more comes out. Once you start digging there are many reports, stories, books, videos, etc. But, the question the outside asks is - what of this can we believe? We may be a little skepitcal about what we see - I compare it to the information we received about the Soviet Union - what they wanted us to know, they told us!

Politically, I think there may be a little more awareness of the meeting with Trump and some of the other events from the present administration (from name calling to being best friend and receiving personal letters). With this, there is the nuclear development that North Korea continues to defy - although face to face saying they will cease developing nuclear weapons. We know this not to be true. Regularly (more so than earlier) we see stories of rocket and missile tests - the distance, the direction and the nuclear capability. This does cause some concern for some of the outside world - not necessarily that North Korea will strike the US mainland, but that North Korea could attack and heavily damage our allies of South Korea and Japan. 

I think the rest of the answer to this question is: Is the information we are receiving reliable? Sources like National Geographic and PBS have produced documentaries over the years, but we also see some scenes that might make us question the reporting these (referencing not only my own viewing of these but discussion for others). 

I kind of have a high level of fascintation and intrigue with North Korea and I have for quite a while. I have read many of the books referenced here, but I have a large pile to go. I have watched most of the documentaries mentioned and have added some of the movies to my list for the last few weeks of my summer! 

Thoughts on any of the books in pile would be appreciated....good, bad or otherwise! 🙂

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[Meghann Seril]

Hi Juana! I also thought it was interesting for the there to be many different words for jail in North Korea. I guess it does show you the values or priorities of the culture. It also makes me wonder how normalized this pattern has become. Do people who are sent to jail expect to return home? What happens after that homecoming? Or do people expect it to be a death sentence with no resolution for some families? Such a sad fate either way.

[Deborah Whetstone]

Based on the video and readings, if I had to summarize how North Korea is viewed, I would say it depends highly on the day, and who is viewing.  

I probably shouldn't have been, but I was surprised to learn North Korea had pop groups, but unsurprised to learn they were put on a strict diet to standardize their waist size.  Then again, I could see something like that being done to any musical (female) group, virtually anywhere.  I was driving and had my daughter read this article to me (it happened to be the one I was on), and she was confused as to why 'they' would do that to the group.  I flippantly replied, "because totalitarianism", but now that I'm thinking about it, . . . the government just makes it . . easier to enforce perhaps.  But again now that I'm thinking about it, managers anywhere do that to their groups - just not governments.  

Back to the main theme - North Korea is seen by outsiders as secretive and bellicose.  But how much of that is posturing?  It's nearly impossible to tell I think.  As in the article about the orchestra playing prior to the Olympics - they presented softer than expected, but also had to be 'quarantined' on a ship to prevent them interacting with those in the South.  I feel like they are terrified of not being taken seriously, and therefore, to paraphrase one woman at the end of the article, I wouldn't be surprised if one day after a softer move like that, they follow it up with a missile launch or something similar lest anyone think they've gone soft.  

The opening paragraph in the last article (Fischer) will absolutely be used in my Human Geography, World History, and Comparative Governments classes!  I don't think I've ever read anything that so succinctly explains 'Cult of Personality', and how North Korea in particular is ruled.  That said, I will definitely be utilizing other excerpts to help my students develop the understanding that it's impossible to 'snap-shot' virtually any government / country.  Yes, that is how the government is perceived, but that alone does not create a full picture of North Korea.

[Meghann Seril]

Hi Heather! You bring up a good point about North Korea being the "happiest place on earth." It makes me wonder about the demographics about those people who try to escape from North Korea. Is it more men or women? What levels of education or types of jobs have they had? At what ages do they attempt to leave? It must weigh so heavily to make the decision and then to act on it. It was sad to think that the alternative is death.

[Deborah Whetstone]

Your note about North Korea reminding you of the Soviet Union (Cuba, Eastern Europe) rang true to me as well; we know what they want us to know, by and large.  But what strikes me about that is the difference in technology between then and now.  It is 100% the same as the Sovet Union in terms of what is known, but how is it that we don't know more, given modern technology.  Before this course I would have answered that most in NK don't have access to that kind of technology, but we now see that they do in fact have at least greater access than we realized.  So again, why isn't more known (rhetorical)?  And even with that, KJU is familiar with modern technology, having attended school in Europe.  How much of what is known is being manipulated from within?  Or are we giving the regime entirely too much credit?  

[Deborah Whetstone]

Very well put.  In a totalitarian regime, it is so hard to move away from viewing everything via the government/leader.  But you are absolutely right that it needs to try to be done.  I 'feel in love' with Russian culture when I was younger, and because of that, people assumed I was communist, or a Soviet-sympathizer.  (My husband still calls me a secret KGB agent; me explaining that the KGB doesn't technically exist anymore doesn't help me convince him otherwise - lol)  Regardless, my point is that as much as I disliked/hated the government, I felt that much more sympathy for the people, and their culture, landscape, etc.  I hope I am able to help my students recognize that there is a difference between the people of a country, and the government.  Thank you for the reminder.

[Maria Cardenas]

Hello. I found it interesting that North Korea had a musical female group too. I listen to some k-pop from South Korea so I wasnt' too surprised that the female group was put on a strict diet because girl groups from South Korea diet before they promote again. 

I found it interesting that the orchestra stayed on the ship but then it made sense to prevent them from interacting from South Koreans. It would have been very difficult for the North Koreans to not see how the South Koreans behave and lived Compared to how the North Korean regime would like them to believe South Korea is suffering. 

[Maria Cardenas]

Hello Juana and Meghann. I also found it very interesting that North Korea has different prisons for the different crimes the people commit. People who are trying to change things and get North Koreans more informed are very brave because they know the consequences of what can happen.   

[Hilda Dixon]

Indeed,  Alyssa Yff  regarding your comment about Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea, Demick’s states that In North Korea, people are not encouraged to use critical thinking to question, wonder and generalize ideas, instead students are encouraged to learn by heart. In fact these statements are supported by Lee Hyeonseo, a NK defector who says that in NK students assume more of a passive role regarding learning because students are not allowed to analyze or discuss with others their views and ideas. Given these points, it is easier to understand  from an outsider point of view that this might be a reason for NK not to question basic psychological needs such thirst, hunger, cold or hot especially within the NK mature or elderly population.  As Demick says that the most important pedagogical role is to keep the propagandistic ideas by keeping the regime lie alive. Therefore, the heroic life of Admiral Yi Sun-sin must come in second or third place because nobody has been more heroic a benefactor as Kim Jong Un and his family. Lee mentioned that the Mass game practices require continued practice until attained perfection.  Many students were given a set of colored cards and through synchronous card display sequence, students were able to create giant images that produce awe from the spectators. During the ceremony at the Hyesan Stadium, students were apprehensive because one single wrong slip could ruin the entire display. Indeed on TV , I have watched the NK parade when soldiers march synchronously with an absolute perfection regarding the execution of every step. Lee says that even one of her favorite books, The Count of  Montecristo had some glued pages that could not be taken apart.

 

[Hilda Dixon]

In the short story, “Flowers of Fire,” Hwang Suwon describes how a friendship of two boys is tested right after the Korean war.  I think this friendship is a metaphor of what happened to Korea after the Korean war. There was one organic Korea and all of a sudden people were placed on different bands of history. People were now supposed to considered themselves not as family, friends or neighbors anymore because the political and geographical enforcement made it the new law. These two boys found themselves right after the war in an awkward position where Tokchae is a criminal because he is vice-chairman of the Communist League, and Songsam is a trusted citizen. Songsam volunteered himself to take his friend Tokchae to get sentenced to  the Chongdam  area.  During the expedition the friendship gradually started to gradually flourish again through communication exchanges. The friendship was questioned by Tochae when Songsam asked him if they could stop to go on a crane hunt as they did in the past. Tokchae questioned at first because his friend is now in a dominant position, and he feels vulnerable. Then, he realizes that the friendship is stronger than the new societal norms. This history is a metaphor because people were sharply divided. The ties of friendship and family were stronger than the enforced separation and the new ideologies.  True connections can last and stay on people’s hearts for a lifetime as is in the case of the majority of mature Koreans who still believe in one Korea. They wished to be reunited in due time.

[Hilda Dixon]

Maria Cardenas, and Deborah Whetstone, I did not know that the members of the Moranbong Band were put on a diet in a country where there is a scarcity of food. As I listened to the catchy tune, I read the lyrics of one of the songs. It is called, “Let’s Study.” What I found interesting was that some of the sentences of the lyrics say, “Let’s study, for the benefit of our country. Let’s study for our future to build a wonderland that is our own way.” These sentences reinforce what we have learned about putting the country of the leader first. Therefore, one can infer that studying should first be for the benefit of the country, and then, for personal benefit.  Another key point is that although the members of the band wore cute dresses above the knee, the dresses resembles dresses for the 90s. The choreography resembles dance moves from past times, too which correlates with what we have learned that North Korean people do not have much contact with the outside world.

 

[Hilda Dixon]

Laura Huffman, I have read your posts and all of them are very reflective. Thank you for sharing your views. I think that you beautifully crafted how outsiders might view North Koreans. During this course, I have really enjoyed that we have made use of our background knowledge along with our critical thinking skills to come up with an educated guest of what it is happening on the inside of NK, as we were Sherlock Holmes. What I have enjoyed of what we are reading is that we now see NK from a more humanistic perspective. If we all humans would have the same face, we could not see the uniqueness of each culture. Differences in each culture make us appreciate the strengths and weakness of each culture. It could also inspire us to learn from other cultures. Given these points, I think regarding NK mature or elderly people would be harder for them to make it outside NK because by now they are fully indoctrinated.  Hyeonseo Lee says that after she went through all the trouble to get her mom out of North Korea in order to show the beautiful word around them, her mother still cries because she left meaningful memories behind her. Even though from our foreigner perspective, we see NK as a harsh country. Lees’ mother longs for NK.  Lee’s mother sees NK as a place where she belongs, a place where her loves ones and true friends are. In this sense for the NK mature and elderly population, they might be happier there sharing themselves with the people they feel comfortable with.  Lee’s mother after she has witnessed a cosmopolitan and sophisticated society such as South Korea, where there is plenty to eat, but she still misses her intimate relationships and friends are still more important to her.  Hyeonseo Lee cannot make a country to her as her own yet after more than 10 years living in exile. What I am trying to say is how hard it would be for defectors to adapt to a totally different country with a new set of social and cultural norms. Lee’s say that SK gets around 150 defectors per week. I think that something very harsh must have them pushed out of their comfort zone which is NK to go and live in another country. How scary, how determined, and how brave they need to be.

 

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