The Kim regime - Literature review Example

The Kim regime The Juche ideology has been instrumental in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as the basis for the longevity of the Kim regime. The success and continued internal legitimacy of the Kim regime can be attributed to this ideology. Juche’s ideology of self-reliance has led to the creation of a state that is politically economically, socially and militarily isolated from the world (Choi 2005, p. 7). Though the ideology seemed to be successful during the years after the domestic famine and disintegration of USSR, it has become reliant on humanitarian aid, particularly food aid in order to fend off starvation (Suh 2012, p. 19). Recently, the regime established structures that would introduce the country to Kim’s dynasty third generation. This has led to concerns over the direction the country is taking and future existence of the country (Kihl & Kim 2006, p. 20). In order for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to avoid its reliance on humanitarian aid for food, it must remove the Juche ideology. Even though the ideology succeeded in insulating the country and regime from external and internal threats, it must be removed as a central economic and political ideology in North Korea. Kim II Sung introduced Juche as an idea. It was a guiding principle and idea of the government. This idea was introduced as a platform for self-defense, independence and self-reliance, which would guide the principle of the country’s revolution. Though the goal of self-reliance was central to the operation of Juche, its core ideological characteristic was flexibility (Chesterman, Ignatieff & Thakur 2006, p. 17). The Kim regime has manipulated the state’s philosophy in order to reflect the challenges and circumstances the country faced. North Korea is faced with a number of uncertainties (Carlin & Wit 2006, p. 33). One of the outstanding aspects of the country and its regime is the failure of the state to achieve Juche as it was intended by the country’s founding father. North Korea has moved from relying on the Soviet Bloc and Chinese support to seeking humanitarian aid from the international community and its southern neighbor. Joan Robinson wrote an article in which she outlined the economic achievements of the republic. This article was guided by the fact that North Korea has undergone changes over the years. Joan Robinson’s article was also guided by North Korea’s economic dynamism. The article gives a positive review of the economic policies of Kim II Sung (Robinson 1965 p. 545). The author of the article compared the economic achievements of North Korea to its Southern contemporary rival. This analysis of North Korea used the available economic data to provide insights into how the regime operated. Robinson’s focus was on defining the ideologies of the regime. She approached North Korea as an offshoot state of Soviet Marxism. Different perspectives of North Korea and the Kim regime are evident in other studies. In Scalapino and Lee’s study titled Communism in Korea, the researchers concluded that the Red Army forced communism on North Koreas. The two authors found that North Korea became a communist state through the actions and military incursions of the Red Army rather than through an indigenous revolution, nationalism or union (Scalapino & Lee 1972, p. 16). This study with additional studies on the formation of the Democratic People’s Republic of China describe communism in Korea as a complex ideology that has adversely affected indigenous nationalism, culture and historical elements of Korean history. Communism is also a crucial element of Korea’s development. Differing perspectives on North Korea are further exhibited in Charles Armstrong’s article, which argues that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was formed because of a revolution from abroad (Armstrong 2005 p. 27). The revolution was imposed on North Korean’s by the leadership of the Soviet Union, which had occupied North Korea. According to this article, the establishment of communism and development of the country was shaped by recent historical legacies and local circumstances. This article is important because it gives the Juche ideology the central role it deserves. After Kim II Sung’s death, analysts and commentators have referred to North Korea as a failed state (Armstrong 2003, p. 44). These comments are influenced by the fact that Kim II Sung was considered, as the father of the nation and without his leadership and direction, the country would fail. It was expected that following his death, North Korea and the Kim regime would collapse. Following recent events and the ascension to power of the third generation of the Kim dynasty, these expectations were incorrect. North Korea: The Politics of Regime Survival by Whan Kihl Young is an article that portrays the expectations that North Korea would fail without the leadership of Kim II Sung. The article portrays a close-minded attitude towards North Korea. The author’s conclusion that North Korea failed as a state shows the author’s close-minded attitude. In addition, the author also states that since the death of Kim II Sung, North Korea has been trapped in a cycle of political repression and economic poverty. Whan Kihl Young failed in his analysis because he failed to acknowledge the challenges that North Korea faces because of policies enacted by Kim II Sung (Kihl & Kim, 2006 p. 15). The failures of the republic under the leadership of Kim Jong II led many spectators and political analysts to speculate on the survival of the country. An analysis of the country’s economic policies and reforms have led to speculations on whether the country’s ideology of self-reliance is sustainable, and whether the country can return to the international society. Marcus Noland approached this issue by using analytical methods to understand the economic decline of North Korea. Noland described the decline by combining the country’s political stability with its economic environment. This has led to the description of North Korea within the context of the country’s ability to achieve combined longevity and economic performance (Noland 2005, p. 12). The Juche ideology in North Korea is responsible for the country’s economic underperformance and longevity of the Kim regime. The ideology provides the Kim dynasty with the legitimacy it requires in a modern society. Scott Snyder’s study of North Korea led to his conclusion that the Juche ideology influenced the behavior and tactics of the country’s leaders (Snyder 2002, p. 35). Snyder’s article shows that the ideology of self-reliance has been used in other countries to influence international relations and the behaviors of the leadership in these countries. List of References Armstrong, C 2003, The North Korean Revolution 1945-1950. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press. Armstrong, C 2005, Korea at the Center: Dynamics of Regionalism in Northeast Asia. Armonk: M.E. Sharpe Inc. Carlin, R., & Wit, J 2006, North Korean Reform: Politics, Economics and Security. Abingdon, Oxfordshire: The International Institute for Strategic Studies. Chesterman, S., Ignatieff, M., & Thakur, R 2006, Making States Work: State Failure and the Crisis of Governance, UN University Press Choi, C 2005, Law and Justice in Korea: South and North, Seoul: Seoul National University Press. Kihl, W., & Kim, N2006, North Korea: The Politics of Regime Survival. London: M.E. Sharpe. Noland, M 2005, North Korea in Transition’, The Korean Journal of Defense Analysis Vol. 17, (1). Page 7-32. Robinson, J 1965, Korean Miracle. Monthly Review, 541-549. Scalapino, R., & Lee, C 1972, Communism in Korea. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. Snyder, S 2002, Negotiating on the edge: North Korean negotiating behavior. Washington DC: United States institute of Peace Press. Suh, J.-J 2012, Origins of North Korea's Juche colonialism, war, and development. Read More