ANTH Short Test 2 - North Korea

North Korea 3 Authority Powers

-Worker's Party of Korea (only party)

-Korean People's Army

-State Affairs Commission (formerly National Defense Commission of North Korea): very powerful; in control & commands army; highest leadership body

North Korean Leaders

-Kim Il-sung (founding leader) (1912-1994): "Great Father"; "forever living"

-Kim Jong-il (1941/42-2011): first son of Kim Il-sung; unsure of birth year

-Kim Jong-un (born 1983/84): educated in Switzerland; leader since 2011; is the third son (first son 'mysteriously died' and second son not interested in politics)

Why Keep Leadership in the Family?

-Trend of heavy criticism following death of leaders in Communist countries (USSR death of Stalin in 1956)

-"Lin Biao" incident in 1971 in China: 'mysterious' plane crash after Mao's leadership

-Kim Il-sung led to believe leadership should stay within family to avoid conflicts such as these

Why May Be the Next Leader of North Korea?

-Kim Jong-un has no sons yet (publicly)

-Potentially Kim Yo-jong (1987-): Kim Kong-un's younger sister; into politics and very powerful

-Kim Ju-ae (2012/13-): Kim Jong-un's daughter; made first public appearance relatively recently and has been more publicly active since then

Promoted Ideology 1: Juche

-"Main body"

-Korean masses: master of country's development and people working together

-3 principles: political independence; economic self-reliance; self-reliance in defense

-Communist ideals

-Absolute loyalty to revolutionary party and leader: developed in 1950s by Kim Il-sung; made leadership within family

-Kimilsungism

Promoted Ideology 2: Songun

-"Military first"

-Korean People's Army: primary position in government and society; domestic parties and international relations; highest economic and resource allocation

-Primary ideology after Kim Il-sung's death in 1994: Kim Jong-il visited military unit in 1995 which marked the start of Songun; importance of military position

Social Control

-Neighboring united required to watch each other for suspicious activity

-Leagues and organizations: youth groups; Korean Worker's Party (become member at 18-years-old and has severe background check for loyalty); occupational organizations like Women's League; workplace (late to work means disloyal to country)

-Education and media: learn about North Korean leaders; Arirang Festival (mass media); control out information (radio, TV, exclusive Internet access)

North Korean Settlers in South Korea: Benefits

-Granted many forms of governmental support compared to other migrants

-Citizenship immediately

-Social adaptation program and resettlement funds once program is completed

-Subsidies/welfare benefits

North Korean Settlers in South Korea: Political Relationship

-Influences cultural acceptance of North Korean migrants as full citizens

-Based on political value

North Korean Settlers in South Korea: Economic/Social Burden

-Continued dependency on governmental support and arrangements

-Downgraded when considered a burden

South Koreans' Conception of "Hierarchical Nationhood"

-Critically determined by level of national economy

-North Korea ranked as one of the lowest, and thus, so are North Korean

-The youth struggles with acceptance because of dialect differences and other cultural markers (would rather be identified as ethnic Koreans from China because of its relatively high rank)

North Korean Settlers in South Korea: Work Lifestyle

-Tend to avoid getting jobs because they have to give up social welfare benefits

-Many North Korean settlers get serious about jobs long after their arrival (large number of them economically enacted or unemployed)

North Korean Settlers in South Korea: Visibility

-Lack of multicultural markers

-Low levels of self-employment

-Dependent on social welfare system: live far away because they don't want to move out of government-subsidized housing; lack of capital or experience

North Korean Settlers in South Korea: Residence, Schools, & Workplaces

-Conceal identity in social area due to fear of prejudice and ethnic stereotypes being extended

-Hide politically sensitive identities in interactions

North Korean Settlers in South Korea: Toward Each Other

-Not close to one another even after years of living next to each other

-Social networking not lively

-Doubt, weariness, and fear that identities will be revealed by relations with one another which could jeopardize the rest of their family members still in North Korea due to tensions & conflicts between the two Koreas

North Korean Settlers in South Korea: Travel Back to North Korea

-Some settlers go back to North Korea multiple times

-Most have already experienced crossing the border illegally

-Risky but have desperate families across the border

-Many invisible routes developed: also used for money, families, South Korean entertainment, South Korean bibles, etc.

North Korean Settlers in South Korea: Sending Money Back to Families in North Korea

-Ability given by resettlement funds to send money immediately back after arrival in South Korea

-Guilt of betraying North Korea and leaving family behind act as motivators

-North Korean struggles with lack of foreign currency so informally welcomes money from South Korea

-Chain migration: money given to North Korean settlers used as bribes for future border crossings

-Enhanced social position and educational opportunities in North Korean system

-Violation of National Security Law ignored in both South and North Korea

Agency

-Anthropological concept used to understand and analyze people's behavior

-Ability of people to pursue projects of their own design

-How people act with and against rules, relations, and forces surrounding them: socioeconomic, sociopolitical, cultural assumptions, values and norms

-All social actors are assumed to have agency, but the agent is not free from "structure": intended consequences; no freedom to formulate their own goals

Structure

-Anthropological concept used to understand and analyze people's behavior

-Social, political, economic, ecological, and ideological factors a person lives with or under: power relationship like marriage arrangements in caste system; traditions driven based on social structure

-May limit individuals' choices since structure shapes individual action

-Agency always occurs within structure

Capital

-Anthropological concept used to understand and analyze people's behavior

-Any resource that enables a person to have access to position and the ability to benefit

-Economic assets

-Social networks or affiliations: status resulting from particular group membership

-Cultural: what is valued; scared access to symbolic goods and forms of knowledge & credentials

-How people act with agency in structure using capital

North Korean Settlers' Construction of Citizenship

-Legal citizenship immediately after arrival

-"Hanawon" educational facility for 3 months: learn how to live in South Korea, study South Korean politics and capitalist economies; gain practical training in computer usage, basic English, South Korean accent, driving, and shopping

-Financial subsidies: settlement, healthcare, housing

-National consensus: justifies that North Korean settlers should be treated differently because of economic and political factors; "same blood"

Portrayal of North Koreans

-Particular ethnic group

-Negative stereotypes such as being opposite to "modern" and "developed" South Korea: stigma that must be dealt with while trying to be modern citizens of South Korea

North Korean Gender Portrayals

-Used as differences between North and South Korea

-North Korean men: patriarchal and authoritarian; regarded as not modern; can be resistant to change

-North Korean women: traditional obedient wives regarded as a positive trait while their image as victims of patriarchy and sex trafficking is a negative trait; want to distance themselves from victim image

-Sexually conservative and think poorly of South Korean women on these terms

-Ideas of marrying South Korean men to settle better into society

How Can North Korean Settlers Create Their Own Sense of Citizenship?

-Ethnic markers: they try to get rid of these markers as well as North Korean accents; important to pass as South Korean

-Clothing, mannerisms, and self-presentation: certain brands and quality of clothing belonging to North and South Koreans; makeup styles

What is Kim Jong-un's Dilemma?

-Caught between traditions of family's communist dictatorship and the need to present himself as a modern leader

-One one hand, maintaining North Korea's rogue status allows him to rule with absolute control and he relies on fear and repression

-On the other hand, modernization could improve North Korea's economic situation and global standing but risks weakening his grip on power

-Dilemma could ultimately determine the survival or downfall of the Kim dynasty

According to South Korea's former national security ambassador, how has Kim Jong-un's regime been sustained?

-Due to heavy international sanctions, North Korea's economy relies on illicit activities to generate revenue: includes arms smuggling, drug trafficking, counterfeiting currency, and cybercrime, which brings an estimated $2 billion in annually

-Criminal operations allow the regime to fund its military, maintain its nuclear program, and sustain the elite class that supports him

Who was Kim Jong-nam? What was his relationship to Kim Jong-un? How did he die? What kinds of things are suggested about his death?

-Kim Jong-un's older half-brother who fell out of favor after being caught using a fake passport at Tokyo Disneyland and then lived in exile in China

-Became a vocal critic of the North Korean government and it was later revealed he acted as an informant for the CIA

-On February 13, 2017, he was assassinated at an airport in Malaysia by two women who were tricked to believe they were on a prank show

-His assassination was a clear message that Kim Jong-un doesn't tolerate betrayal, even from his own family

What is meant by "The Hidden Kingdom"? How did Kim Jong-un grow up?

-Refers to a secret network of roads, railways, and tunnels in North Korean that exist outside public knowledge and allow for Kim Jong-un to evade spy satellites, provide protection from potential threats, and escape to China if necessary

-His upbringing was shaped by extreme secrecy, paranoia, and isolation

-He was not allowed to socialize with other children, so his close relationships were with his body guards

-His food was closely monitored and his waste was collected to be disposed of securely

Where did Kim Jong-un spend some of his teenage years outside North Korea? How did his school mates describe him? How does his experience during those years seem to have affected his leadership style?

-As a teenager, he lived in Switzerland under the care of his maternal aunt and uncle

-He attended a regular public school and his classmates described him as passionate, well-liked, and directly proud of North Korea

-His time in Switzerland exposed him to Western culture, which then influenced his leadership style: made efforts to modernize North Korea via ski resorts, theme parks, malls, and eateries to give the illusion of progress

What kinds of messages are being given when Kim Jong-un and his wide allow themselves to be shown together in public?

-His wife is Ri Sol Ju, a famous singer

-Kim Jong-un changed her title from "comrade" to "First Lady" in 2018 to present himself as a modern leader

-Carefully staged public appearances for them to appear as an 'aspirational' couple, similar to Western political figures

-She plays a role in humanizing Kim Jong-un: makes him seem more relatable to his citizens; meant to signal North Korea is not as traditional as it used to be

-Her role in the government is minimal

How is social media controlled and used in North Korea? Why is it not completely restricted?

-Social media in North Korea is tightly controlled and used as a propaganda tool

-Instead of banning social media completely, Kim Jong-un has allowed state-approved influencers to create content of an idealized North Korea

-All media in North Korea is controlled by Kim Yo-jong, who oversees state propaganda: every piece of foreign correspondence addressed to Kim Jong-un is first ran by her; she ensures regime's messaging is consistent and no unauthorized information reaches the public

Who is Kim Yo-jong? When did she come to be known in public? What is her position? What is her "unique, special, and privileged role"?

-Kim Jong-un's younger sister

-Her existence was largely unknown until her father's death in 2011, but has since then rose through the ranks of the North Korean government and now serves as the propaganda chief

-Her "unique, special, and privileged role" is due to her significant influence via the media and approved messages to the public

-She has demonstrated her brutality via ordering executions and aggressive politics against South Korea: some speculate she is the true power behind the regime

What does a "dual dictatorship" mean? Who are the dual dictators in North Korea and how does each appear to function to maintain the North Korean government?

-Refers to the shared power dynamic between Kim Jong-un and Kim Yo-jong

-Kim Jong-un presents himself as a modern politician while his sister enforces a traditional authoritarian rule through fear and aggression

-Kim Jong-un cultivates an image of progress and diplomacy via photo-ops and engaging with foreign leaders while Kim Yo-jong handles the "dirty work" to ensure absolute loyalty to the regime