(U) North Korea (NK), although isolated, have developed their own cultural aspects over the decades. The civilian considerations, such as PMESII/ASCOPE, in NK comes in many shapes and forms. The cultural aspects of NK are dependent on and significantly affected by these considerations. The culture of NK varies from the political to the information considerations in PMESII/ASCOPE. The government control these aspects in NK giving little to no civilian involvement. The government limits culture in NK as civilians have no direct influence to change culture. This paper’s purpose is to educate readers about the cultural aspects and considerations of NK.
North Korea is a mysterious place to outsiders but from the inside it may seem normal because the people have no sense of reality or awareness. In the novel 1984 a made up character named ‘Big Brother’ is much like Kim Jong-Un in our world. There are two parties outer and inner and the inner parties consist of people from the inside and the wealthier class unlike the outer witch holds the middle class.The outer party of 1984 worship Big Brother and most are forced to because they are being watched by spies and telescreens (surveillance systems). North Korea is very similar to 1984 due to the constant surveillance and the cult of personality.
Throughout history, there have been many different ways a government can control its people, but these two radical styles of ruling-in North Korea and the novel 1984- are comparable in many ways. The novel 1984, written by George Orwell, depicts a society of extreme control by the government. North Korea’s government has a tightly help grip on their loyal people. Both the fictional and nonfictional versions of this ruling style, teach a person new ideas about the world today. The citizens of North Korea and the novel 1984, have a strong devotion to their leader, a sense of unity and the need to be the same, and sometimes a rare urge to rebel.
After WWII, there was communism fever in the northern part of the world. This domineering outbreak of communism threatened the US and our capitalist allies. Through the outbreaks, the US took things to drastic measures and did everything in their power to stop communism, causing multiple wars and combat.
As the Korean war was going on, the US’ presidential election was also coming closer, and before long, it was about time to elect a new president. One of the running candidates was a republican named Dwight D. Eisenhower. During his campaign, Eisenhower often criticized the US government’s handling of the Korean war, especially its inability to end the conflict between North and South Korea. Because of his criticism, on October 24, 1952, US president Truman challenged Eisenhower to find his own alternative solution. And in response, Eisenhower announced that if he were to get elected as president, he would go to Korea and handle the situation himself. This greatly boosted Eisenhower’s popularity and caused him to actually win the election.
Furthermore, there is another similar dictatorship in North Korea in today’s world. The supreme leader of the country is named Kim Jong-un, and he controls everything that occurs. This is in close relation to El Jefe in Before We Were Free because they both have absolute power over the citizens. Just like in the novel, there are many people in the world that disagree with what Kim Jong-un is doing. In both events, if you opposed the leader, you would have to face serious consequences.
In Asia, China and North Korea did many things to maintain control. China was under Mao and North Korea is totalitarian. Mao Zedong was China 's leader and Kim Jong Un is North Korea 's leader. Both China and North Korea used indoctrination, propaganda, censorship, persecution, and dictatorship to maintain control. In China, Mao Zedong had led a cultural revolution that brought a form of government called Communism to the country in 1949. He launched the Cultural Revolution in order to maintain that system. First he would use indoctrination to get kids to know he is like the “god” and they need to show loyalty and follow his rules. A group called red guards pledged their devotion to Chairman Mao and the revolution. They were mostly students and teenagers who were part of this group. They wanted to smash the old, non-maoist way of life, by destroying buildings, beat and even kill alleged enemies. One example is
If they begin to lose power and are feeling threatened, they have their army to rely on as one of their major strengths of the country. North Korea is also using their limited knowledge of their citizens as a strong advantage to maintaining their communist regime. By not allowing a candid educational system, society is unaware of the faults of the country and is taught to believe that they are living a better lifestyle. This idea is illustrated when Demick states, “as [Mi-ran’s] students were dying, she was supposed to teach them that they were blessed to be North Korean” (9). By restricting their knowledge, the people of North Korea are falsely being taught that people in other countries are living in far worse poverty than them, which then allows them to believe that they are living a better lifestyle. Barbara Demick has developed the idea that North Korea “has fallen out of the developed world” by providing several examples of life as analytical ways of thoughts and processes of North Koreans in comparison to other countries
Change, hope, and justice, are all things North Korean defectors, including Human Rights activist Hyeonseo Lee, wish for in the harshly governed country of North Korea. Many people know about the story of Hyeonseo’s escape from the unethical dictatorship of the Kims. But she was so much more. As a Human Rights activist fighting for a change of the corrupt and cruel system of government in North Korea, she is trying her best to inform people of how terrible and a dire situation it is in North Korea. Through this, she is showing her defiance publicly towards North Korea, when just a little over a decade before, she was expressing absolute loyalty and respect towards the Kims.
Both “Postwar Reconstruction and a Declaration of Self-reliance, 1953-55” by Charles Armstrong and “North Korea’s Vinalon City: Industrialism as Socialist Everyday Life” by Cheehyung Kim focus on the post-Korean War reconstruction of North Korea as a model of the socialist economic development. The authors analyze the rise of North Korea as a showcase of socialist industrialization with “fraternal” supports from the whole Eastern Bloc, the role of this rapid` industrialization in consolidating Kim Il Sung’s power, and external and internal backgrounds behind the North’s gradual transition from an externally dependent economy to an autarky after the initial years of industrialization.
North Korea has been under a dictatorship where even the most beloved soldier can be executed. North Korea is in an systematic tyranny. Tyranny is a government given by a tyrant.. The Kim Dynasty has been ruling North Korea since 1948. How does the Kim Dynasty and their systematic tyranny, millions worshiping them as gods?
Throughout the course of the Korean War, North Korea’s leader Kim Il-Sung, had similar characteristics to Animal Farm’s Napoleon, such as they were both dictators. During the Cold War on September 9, 1948, Kim Il-Sung declared himself Prime Minister. He abused the power of Prime Minister to later become North Korea’s dictator. In Animal Farm Napoleon also abused his power to later become a dictator. This is demonstrated when Napoleon got rid of Snowball and then declared
In 1949, a man predicted the domination of citizens by the totalitarian government and their custom of technologies to dictate the society. His name is George Orwell, a well-known British author, who wrote one of the most famous dystopian novels, 1984. The novel 1984 illustrates the totalitarian society and the life of Winston Smith, who works at the Ministry of truth and his humiliation by the party of the country, Oceania. George Orwell’s exaggeration and mockery of the totalitarian governments in the novel 1984 is now turning out to be one of the nightmare come true in our modern society.
Throughout the history of mankind, nationalism has played a significant role and had major impact on society. Nationalism, especially in South Korea where having a nationalistic attitude is of social norm with deep history, has a substantial influence on the culture and way of life. We have seen nationalism work in favor of the country, however we fail to take into account the devastating drawbacks of possessing this nationalistic attitude. Historical references and current situations shows that nationalism could lead to into major conflict, war. In such a globalized world such as today, certain problems are bound arise possessing this nationalistic attitude. While the majority of South Koreans are and assume that being nationalistic promotes
The hope for this research essay is to try to implement and understand the role of democracy in the case of the Korean War. This research essay will look in depth to see if democracy can truly prevent war and bring peace or if it is irrelevant in what causes war in the international realm. This concept is also known as the Democratic Peace Theory. The Democratic Peace Theory is probably the most popular theme or theory in trying to understand what causes war and what causes peace. The current relationship between South Korea and North Korea is very similar to how the United States and the Soviet Union were in the Cold War.