This year, referred to in North Korea as “Juche 100”, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the DPRK’s “Great Leader” Kim Il-Sung. As such, on the New Year the government of North Korea widely distributed an editorial to citizens all over the nation outlining the state’s goals for the upcoming year. A copy of the publication can be found here: http://asiamatters.blogspot.
Considering the secrecy of the North Korean state, this editorial can afford us a glance into the inner workings of the nation. Since politics, economics and propaganda are pronouncedly entangled in the DPRK, one must be wary and analyze each of these aspects through a combination of these lenses. Due to North Korea’s precarious state, the country must address economic development and questions of stability through internal changes that can yield results, while still maintaining the control and trust of its people, upon whose loyalty the government’s stability is completely dependent. The wide gap between its political aims and the realities of its economic challenges shows exactly how difficult a task it can be.
For a government that has nothing to offer its people in terms of rights, prosperity, or security, the success of the second transition of leadership of the nation is contingent upon the citizens’ feelings of hopefulness (or disillusionment) about the future and their faith in the regime. With this consideration in mind, the New Year's message is clear. The title itself, “Let us achieve a decisive turnabout in people's living standards by accelerating light industry and agriculture once again this y ear, which greets the 65th party founding anniversary!", is a clear attempt to raise the morale of the North Korean people, possibly in a time of particular hardship as indicated by the recent currency reform and reports of famine. The title carefully emphasizes the historical identity of the people, and associates the promise of prosperity to come: a bold move, as not delivering on these set expectations could prove an embarrassment, and will cast doubt on the abilities of the Worker’s Party of Korea during a sensitive time.
The objectives are clear, but the proposed path to achievement of these goals is a mixed bag. Could this be telling of internal disagreement or uncertainty over the prescriptions to realize these goals, or is it just a broad-based solution? Of course investment in light industry and agricultural productivity are important in economic development, not many would disagree. At the same time, the DPRK also endorses the idea of expanding foreign trade (which is difficult, with many international sanctions North Korea faces, not to mention contradictory to its simultaneous commitment of self-sustenance), as well as harnessing science and technology. Although the government seems to push for international trade, the message also rejects experimentation with markets, despite the reality of their evolution in a state where the government is unable to provide for the people.
The New Year objectives of North Korea cannot be easily attained, and clearly the government must be aware of this. This poses a big risk in a nation where the trust of the people is everything at a time when transition of power is imminent. Could these empty promises be an attempt to raise the morale of citizens for a more stable transition of power, or are they just another set of lies coming from the staged government of an oppressive dictatorship?
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