A Personal Journey into North Korean Studies

While I was a university student, deeply involved in activities related to Dokdo Island and a foreign language drama club, I never gave much thought to social issues or reading books on social science.

However, after opening and managing the Dokdo Cultural Center in 2008, I began receiving various materials and information related to Dokdo. About a decade ago, a friend gifted me a collection of North Korean stamps, which included several stamps featuring Dokdo.

Intrigued, I decided to pursue graduate studies in North Korean studies in 2017. During discussions with my advisor about my thesis topic, the collection of North Korean stamps led me to write my master's and doctoral theses on the subject. It was more of a serendipitous journey rather than a long-planned endeavor.

While studying North Korea, I encountered a perplexing paradox. According to South Korea's Ministry of Unification, as of May 2023, South Korea has a significant economic advantage over North Korea, with a 30-fold difference in per capita income, a 60-fold difference in GDP, and a 4,600-fold difference in exports.

Despite this vast economic disparity, even graduate students studying North Korea find it difficult to access original North Korean documents freely. To view original North Korean materials, one must visit the North Korean Materials Center under the Ministry of Unification, located within the National Central Library, and make a reservation in advance.

Even though South Korea's economic dominance over North Korea began in the 1970s, the South Korean government still tightly controls access to materials published in North Korea. It's as if the government either lacks confidence or doesn't trust the South Korean people.

Due to these restrictions, South Koreans have a limited understanding of the reality of North Korea. Most South Koreans perceive North Korea as a totalitarian, communist state ruled by a hereditary dictatorship, isolated from the rest of the world and possessing nuclear weapons.

While these perceptions are not entirely inaccurate, they are incomplete. For instance, while it is true that North Korea restricts travel for both foreigners and its own citizens, it is not entirely closed off to the outside world. It's just that South Korean and US citizens are prohibited from visiting due to the two countries' hostile relationship.

How many South Koreans know that North Korea joined the United Nations in 1991, the same year as South Korea, and that its official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)? How many know that North Korea has diplomatic relations with 159 countries, while South Korea has diplomatic relations with 192?

How many South Koreans are aware that the number of North Korean defectors increased significantly in the 2000s, compared to fewer than 500 in the mid-1990s? With 33,981 North Korean defectors as of 2023, is this number large enough to pose a significant threat to the North Korean regime? Considering that North Korea has around 4 million party members loyal to the regime, and there are no visible challenges to the regime's authority, is there a real possibility of regime collapse?

A significant portion of North Korea's economy, estimated to be between 70% and 90%, is under the control of the military and operates in secrecy. This makes it difficult to obtain an accurate picture of North Korea's overall economic situation.

Based on my research and studies of North Korea over the past eight years, I believe that the possibility of a sudden collapse of the North Korean regime is virtually zero. Therefore, I believe that coexistence and cooperation between South and North Korea are the only viable options.

When considering the model country that Kim Jong-un aspires to, it is unlikely to be a liberal democratic state. North Korea might look to countries like China, which achieved rapid economic growth through reform and opening-up, or Vietnam, which has made significant economic progress. However, I personally believe that Kim Jong-un's ideal model is Singapore, a highly authoritarian state that emphasizes economic success and national unity.

This may seem like a mere fantasy, but we should not dismiss it outright. In South Korea, many of the most intelligent people aspire to become doctors or lawyers, driven by a desire for wealth. There is a lack of respect and appreciation for scientists and engineers. In contrast, North Korea places a high value on scientists, and the regime provides them with significant support.

North Korean stamp from 2018 featuring the slogan 'Science and technology are the shortcut to self-reliant economic development.' [Photo provided by Ahn Jae-young]

If both South and North Korea recognize each other as sovereign states within the United Nations and move forward together through communication and exchange, I believe North Korea could achieve unprecedented economic growth.

If the inter-Korean relationship shifts towards a peaceful environment due to the needs of surrounding countries, including the United States, North Korea's need to develop and possess nuclear weapons will naturally diminish, leading to denuclearization.

As a first step, both South and North Korea should immediately cease all activities that harm inter-Korean relations and foster animosity among their people, such as distributing leaflets and launching propaganda balloons. The resumption of anti-North Korean broadcasts should also be halted.

It is evident that the costs of leaflet dissemination and broadcasting far outweigh the benefits. I urge both the South Korean public and political leaders to take this seriously and to shift our focus from a confrontational approach to a genuine competition to build better lives for our people.

Source from http://www.tongilnews.com