North Korea’s controversial actions has caused worldwide leaders to examine and discuss the country’s presence in the global community. The country strives to be acknowledged as a world power using various tactics, including broadcasting their advances in nuclear testing on a global stage. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea demonstrates itself as the pinnacle of societal and national superiority, yet so many North Koreans are found traveling south of the border into South Korea in search of a better quality of life.
Propaganda used by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea leads many of their citizens to believe that they comprise the greatest nation on Earth, unbeknownst of their impoverished economic, military, and social frameworks. This paper will examine North Korea’s background including the terrain, infrastructure, economy, military history, and displays of power that leads to the cultural divide that embodies North Korean society. The Geography and Climate of North Korea
Residing on the northern side of the Korean Peninsula between the 38th and 43rd northern latitudes, North Korea shares a border with both Russia and China; flanked on the west by the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan on the east. In 1953, the establishment of the southern and youngest border of North Korea was infamously named the Demarcation line (Savada, 1993). The border lies along the 38th parallel and is shared with South Korea. The southwestern city of P’yongyang is the capital of North Korea. North Korea controls 120,410 square kilometers of land.
The territory is roughly the size of Louisiana, as well as twelve nautical miles off either shore North Korea claims as territorial waters (Savada, 1993). North Korea’s Climate With long winters and short summers, North Korea’s climate is temperate and demonstrates the four basic seasons. Due to the mountainous terrain to the north, winter is especially harsh in those regions. On average, snow will fall for 37 complete days. Typhoons are common place in the already humid summers on account of the moist winds blowing in from the Pacific Ocean.
In P’yongyang, the average temperature in winter ranges from -3 to -13 degrees Celsius, and 20 to 29 degrees Celsius in the summer months (Savada, 1993). Roadway, Electrical and Communication Infrastructure North Korea is known for having a very worn and weathered infrastructure. Crumbling roadways and limited electricity have a significant effect on the nation’s commerce and the ability of citizens to commute and stay informed. This was not always the case though.
According to Andrei Lankcov, a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul (2016), “In 1945, when North Korea became independent, it was the most advanced industrial region in Asia (outside Japan, at least). Predictably, its infrastructure was among the best in the world”. The vast majority of the estimated 32,000 kilometers of roadways in North Korea are crumbling and unpaved, privately- owned vehicles are scarce, and the Japanese built railroad provides public transit for 70 percent of the citizens (North Korea – Infrastructure, power, 2016).
This severely limits the ability of the citizens to easily commute to work or travel freely throughout their own country as well as foreign lands. Electrical Infrastructure and Communications The electrical energy North Korea produces is generated relatively evenly between hydroelectric plants and coal-fired thermal plants. Due to shortages in coal and inoperable hydroelectric plants, the country often experiences long periods of blackouts and has since adopted a rationing system.
North Korea has been seeking foreign aid to help with their energy crisis, looking to Russia and even South Korea for additional support (North Korea – Infrastructure, power, 2016). As a result of the electricity shortage, information and entertainment outlets are limited. The nation has 38 television stations and 12 radio stations, severely limiting the free flow of information. There is one internet service provider and 1. 1 million telephone lines. Only about four percent of the population has a television (North Korea – Infrastructure, power, 2016).
Because of the lack of an independent media outlet that is not controlled by the state, North Koreans have become increasingly reliant on the information given to them by their government, causing a very uncultured and uninformed population. I believe this, as well as the inability to easily commute are the main reasons why anti-American propaganda is so effective amongst the people of North Korea. Citizens and Economy Between forced labor, collective punishment, and forced abortions, North Koreans are amongst the most repressed population in the modern world.
They live with extremely restricted civil liberties, such as no freedom of religion or even the ability to leave the country without the state’s consent (North Korea, 2016). The language orally spoken is Korean and the script was chinese. In 1940, due to illiteracy, they constituted a korean script that sounds out the orally expressed language which skyrocketed literacy at the end of the 20th century. There are essentially two classes to North Korean society; the politically powerful and the politically powerless. Family background and history are the determinants of social class.
Only people of higher social class can obtain a higher education. If a member of a family commits a crime against the government, than the entire family’s social class is lowered. The majority of North Korea is either undeveloped or underdeveloped, with people living in two room houses with no running water and sharing kitchens and bathrooms with the rest of the community. Infant mortality rate as of 1998 stood at 8. 7 percent and the average life expectancy was between 48 and 53 years of age (Culture of North Korea, 2008).
Many factors play into these staggering numbers with emphasis on the lack of proper medical care and the pollution of life-sustaining functions, such as clean drinking water. Economy The destruction to infrastructure caused by the Korean War (1950-1953) was so complete that the economy of North Korea fully collapsed. In the years to follow, with Russian and Chinese aid, North Korea recovered by adopting a state- run socialist- style economy. All businesses and farms are owned and controlled by the state.
People can own moveable goods such as furniture, but all houses and jobs are state-provided. Basic goods such as textbooks are also provided by the government (Culture of North Korea, 2008). The major industries of the country are typically heavy industries, including mining, steel and iron production. Although open to trade with the U. S. and Japan, typically North Korea only trades with other socialist- like entities such as Russia (who imports the majority of weapons to North Korea) and parts of Africa (Culture of North Korea, 2008).
Government and Military Much like The U. S. , The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has a President, and a Congress. There is a centralized federal government that is divided into departments, and there is local party offices. Although there is typically only one candidate per position, Congress and other officials hold elections every 5 years. The “President” comes into power via a family dynasty. Kim Jong-un has been the ruler of the Workers Party, which is essentially the equivalent to the U. S. xecutive branch, since 2010. He is also the supreme commander of the military (Culture of North Korea, 2008). Military Although conscription into the military is not a mandatory, many citizens opt for it as a ticket into a higher social class and a better education.
With a GFP power index rating of 0. 4442, and a 7. 5 billion USD defense budget, North Korea’s military has the potential to dominate a battlefield (North Korea Military Strength, 2016). Currently there are 700,000 active duty soldiers and 4. million active reserve. As far as equipment, they command 4,200 tanks, mostly T-62 variants, and 4,300 towed artillery pieces. They also employ thousands of armored fighting vehicles as well as MLRS. Out of nearly 1,000 aircraft currently in service, the majority are fixed- wing interceptors. North Korea only has around 20 attack helicopters. As far as the Navy, they have no aircraft carriers, three frigates, two corvettes and 70 submarines (North Korea Military Strength, 2016). Summary
As characterized above, the operational variables that dictate existence in North Korea has many citizens seeking better lives in foreign lands. Complete government control of the economy, and day to day operations of people’s lives is counterproductive to the growth of the economy and the country. Although repressed because of the lack of education, free media and exposure to life outside of North Korea, many citizens would support their oppressive government in conflict. The result is a confusing combination of patriotism and desertion.
