...“The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves – and Why It Matters,” by B. R. Myers (excerpted) Korean schoolchildren in North and South learn that Japan invaded their country in 1905, that Japan spent 40 years destroying its language and culture, and then withdrew. Yet the truth is more complex. For much of the country’s long history, the national identities of Koreans and Chinese were mutually indistinguishable. Believing their civilization was founded by a Chinese’s age in China’s image, Koreans subscribed to a Confucian worldview that put their country in a position of permanent subservience to China. It was not until the late 19th century, under Japan, that Koreans took measures to establish Koreas independence, and imbue the people with a sense of national pride. The Japanese freed the peninsula from China only to take it for themselves. Opposition to Japanese rule grew from 1905 until patriots declared independence in 1919. The authorities responded with a brutal show of force. The Japanese started a colonial propaganda machine, which did not stamp out Korean pride. Instead it asserted that Koreans shared the same ancient bloodline and benevolent ruler as the Japanese. Both peoples belonged to one “imperial” race that was superior to all others. Japan and Korea were seen as one body. Koreans had languished too long under China’s shadow – now was the time to become part of a Japanese whole. It was in this period that Korean nationalists revived the legend of Jan’gun...
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...Bryan Nevis Mrs. Welkenbach Pre-AP English II 3 November 2015 Escape from Camp 14: Loss of Innocence In today’s world, most people know about North Korea’s political standpoint of how they claim to treat their people well, but has one ever questioned the honesty of North Korea? For several decades, satellites have detected prison/labor camps all over the Mountainous regions of North Korea. Between 150,000 and 200,000 people reside in these camps; Many of them born in the camp and are unaware of the outside world. At a young age many of the children born in the camp, are malnourished, abused and given a taste of what the camp life is like. A popular novel known as Escape from Camp 14 is the true tale of a young man’s life, in a labor camp known...
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...Stewart Frame GWC PS110 Due: 12/12/13 North Korea and Kim Jong Un Kim Jong Un is the the 29-year-old ruler of North Korea, one of the most distinctive and unpredictable countries in the world. It is a cocktail of poisonous elements: autocratic, repressive, isolated and poor (Powell).Its regime is dangerous not only to its people but also to the rest of the world. Its actions have had an unsettling impact on international relations in northeast Asia, particularly its nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009 and its shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in 2010, all of which led to tensions between China and the united States (Ahn). North Korea’s present and future, therefore, are of global concern (Powell). North Korea is "a Stalinist monarchy" where bloodlines, and only bloodlines, determine who the next dictator will be--no matter how young or inexperienced that person may be, notes South Korean scholar Cheong Seong-chang (Ahn). Nearly 30,000 U.S. troops sit across the border, helping defend South Korea against the 1.2 million-member army, most of it which exists within 30 miles of the demilitarized zone. Over the past decade, despite crippling economic sanctions imposed by most of the outside world, North Korea has defiantly developed and tested nuclear weapons and the long-range missiles needed to deliver them (Ahn). Western intelligence agencies make an educated guess that Pyongyang is holding 8 to 12 nuclear weapons. The hard truth is that North Korea is Asia's last remaining Cold...
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...From 1950 to 1953, the Korean War was a short war. Nevertheless, the Korean War carries the same amount of impact as any wars would have. The Korean War was also a tragic, the lost of lives and casualties were big for this country, even if it was a small amount to most of the other countries. During World War II, Korea, at that time, was apart of the Japanese empire. After World War II, the United States Army (U.S. Army) and the Soviet to decide what to do with the enemy's imperial possessions. In August 1945, two young aides at the State Department divided the Korean peninsula in half along the 38th parallel. While the Russians occupied the north of the line and the United States occupied the south. In the South, the Anti-Communist dictator Syngman Rhee enjoyed the reluctant support of the United States government; in the North, the Communist dictator Kim Il Sung enjoyed the slightly more enthusiastic support of the Soviets. However, neither dictators was happy to remain on one side of the 38th parallel and border skirmishes were common. Nearly 10,000 North and South Korean soldiers were killed in battle before the war even began....
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...North Korea Hermit Kingdom 27 FEB 2016 Life In North Korea One of a series of drawings of public executions created by North Korean refugee child showing the stages and manner of public execution in North Korea. Factual accuracy was later confirmed by news reports and a video taken and smuggled from North Korea to Japan. Picture credit: North Korea Genocide Exhibit As one of the only remaining closed societies in the world, North Korea has garnered global attention to what is sealed off within its borders. Despite the ongoing food crisis that has lasted for two decades and the whimsical leadership under the 'Kim' family, life manages to go on in Hermit Kingdom. A man gathering grass as a source of food from a park. Picture credit: Eric Lafforgue North Koreans are constantly under the scrutiny of the state. Neighbourhood watch groups know as the Inminban are deployed in all villages. A female junior official usually heads the group and her main tasks are to look out for any suspicious activities within her jurisdiction and ensure there are no 'contraband' items like DVDs of South Korea and tuneable radio sets. Instilling fear and propaganda are the two main tools the North Korean government use to ensure obedience of its citizens. People are often required to attend public execution where political dissidents and transgressors are shot to death on the spot. Statues and figures of the Kim family are ubiquitous. The government is...
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...taken to a train station, where a large crowd of people who had gathered yelled anti-American slogans, spit on and hit the crew members. After almost 10 hours on the train, the crew reached Pyongyang and "the Barn." From the moment their ship was boarded onwards, one of the most disturbing things for the crew was the North Koreans "total and complete hatred" for the US crewmen. "You could just feel it," Russell recalled in an interview with CNN. It bewildered the young Americans, many of whom "had no thoughts about North Koreans one way or another." It wasn't until much later he...
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...about what is happening in North Korea right now? Children as young as seven are forced to manual labor, proper food rations are not distributed to citizens, and Kim Jong-Un is testing and building nuclear weapons without permission of citizens. As you can see, many human rights are violated in these problems North Korea has, including freedom of movement, freedom of speech, freedom of information, forced leadership, religious freedom, public executions, and even more. One of these violations is free speech, the right and freedom of opinion and information in society and government. The people of North Korea are not treated well as humans because of this invigorating problem of violating this key human right, free speech....
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...The Effectiveness of the North Korean Government How would it be like if a country offered lived in offered free education for all students? What if the government of that country had free universal healthcare for all of the people in the country? The North Korean government offers its people free education, free healthcare and it even has an army that is very strong. The government and the students take their education very seriously. The healthcare provides assistance in prevention, medicine, and diagnosing issues. North Korea has one of the largest armies in the entire world. These are all important pillars of what North Korea wants to and does offer the people. That is why the North Korean Government is very effective and efficient in the way that it operates its country. Of course, many people would say that the government in North Korea is very strict and that's true. The government holds an election every five years with only one person running for the position. There are only three tv channels allowed to be shown on tv. It also illegal to watch any South Korean movie, TV show or any music from South Korea if caught you can receive the...
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...1: INTRODUCTION The Korean peninsula is located at the eastern end of Asia, between China, Siberia (now part of the Russian Federation), and the islands of Japan. Because of the complex, shifting, and historic relations between these areas, as well as relations with other places such at the United Sates in more recent times, the history of Korea has been told in many ways and is still the subject of hot debate both inside and outside the Koreas. North and South Korea have different versions of the peninsula’s history, both of which differ in detail and perspective from histories written in China, Japan, Russia, and the USA. The following sections, which attempt to outline the history in a balanced way, are based on a variety of materials, including lectures attended in a special workshop on Korean culture at Korea University in the summer of 1997. Map of Korea The overall pattern of development in the history of the Korean peninsula is a process that begins with an unknown number of early tribal groups that populate the peninsula in prehistoric times, wandering out of Siberia and areas to the west. Over time, some of these groups form more complex societies that eventually result in early kingdoms that grow up on the peninsula; in some cases extending westwards into what is now Chinese territory. As time and events unfolded, these kingdoms were unified, though the borders and degree of unity have continued to change over time—down to today. Besides the obvious split between North and South...
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...On June 25, 1950, the North Korean People's Army backed by communist China and the USSR swept across the 38th parallel in an attempt to invade South Korea (Jasper, Para. 2). This hostile act led to what is now known as the Korean War. The outcome of this bloody war resulted in the deaths of over 4 million civilians and soldiers. The implications of this tragic event 65 years later is very prominent in the Korean Peninsula. North Korea is perhaps one of the most isolated countries in the modern 21st century unlike its counterpart South Korea, which is one of the worlds most industrial nations. The two sides are infamously separated by the demilitarized zone, which is a 205-kilometer border barrier (Szczepanski, Para. 31). In the past decade,...
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...U.S. troops to aid South Korea from being invaded by North Korean communist armies. The UN had successfully cleared the North Korean invaders from South Korea; however, Truman with the support of General MacArthur decided cross the 38th parallel to fight communism in North Korea which ended up backfiring. Truman discharged General MacArthur because he went against his orders and made public statements about expanding the war into China. | Truman’s decision to get involved in the Korean War reinforced the U.S. as a global police. Many civilians were supporters of MacArthur and were outraged when Truman discharged him. Much of the outrage stemmed from civilians not fully understanding the war and their disappointment with Truman not going forth and taking over North Korea. | Moving OnCh.2 p. 36-40 | 38th Parallel | This is the latitudinal line that divides North Korea and South Korea. North Korea initially crossed the boundary in 1950 which prompted U.N. involvement ultimately resulting in the Korean war. Truman tried going north of the line in order to defeat communism in North Korea. However, Chinese troops pushed U.S. forces back across the parallel. After the armistice in 1953, the line was re-established as the border between North Korea and South Korea. | This line signified the distinction between communism and capitalism as well as Soviet and U.S. power. The 38th parallel is still considered the border between North and South Korea. | Moving OnCh.2 p. 36-40 | General...
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...Will North Korea in due time undergo changes or experience implosions sooner or later ? Is a big changing or a revolution similar to the Arab Spring possible in North Korea? The answer from me and most scholars and intelligence analysts has been ‘‘NO’’ The Pyongyang regime’s stability in the aftermath of the events in the Middle East and North Africa is an ‘‘old question’’ that was answered in the 1990s when the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea) faced the most critical test of its life, and survived. The collapse of the Soviet Union, the drastic cuts in patron aid from China, and the onset of famine that killed hundreds of thousands all constituted the ultimate test of DPRK stability, and the regime staggered on through it all.(1) There are five potential variables that could bring the Arab Spring to North Korea’s doorstep: individual socio-economic development, rates of economic growth (rising expectations), demography (youthful population), the contagion effect, or regime type. Do we see the possibility for change in the DPRK from any of these? Not really. In the months since Kim Jong-un has been in power, most telling is the way he remains overshadowed by his late father and grandfather. Kim jong Un's a contrast to his introverted dad, Kim Jong Il. In power for more than a year, Kim is very much an extrovert who loves to appear in public, watch his beloved hoops and deliver speeches. "Much of his behavior may be political theater aimed at convincing...
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...oppressed. The nation of North Korea is no exception, with “Bing-brother always watching.” The government in North Korea pervades all aspects of life. Hunger is a problem worldwide. However with a quarter of North Korea’s population (six million people) starving or malnourished, with nearly one million of those cases being children under the age of five years old, the situation is especially dire (Cullinane 3). Throughout history the term “famine” has referred to a shortage of food caused by uncontrollable circumstances. Modern famines are relatively nonexistent because international aid, globalization, and modern domestic responses are all able to provide a safety net for those in need of assistance. In reality, mass-starvations today are caused by government decisions and improper food distribution. The North Korean government controls food delivery through a Public Distribution System (PDS), on which 62 percent of the population is entirely reliant upon for monthly or biweekly rations (Haggard et al. 17). To put this dependency in perspective, by the end of the 1990’s the PDS could barely support six percent of the population (Haggard et al. 28). In the 1990’s those who lived in the Northeastern Hamgyong provinces, a region historically rebellious due to mountain ranges and proximity to China, were cut off from the PDS (Nastios 109). With regime control of food distribution, creating food shortages became an effective and horrifying way in which the North Korean regime consolidates...
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...Alexandria D. Maese Dan Berliner Global Politics 14 March 2016 Current Events Report Wednesday, January 6, 2016, North Korea made an announcement that their hydrogen bomb testing was successful, resulting in “raised cries of indignation from the international community”. In the past the U.N had implemented sanctions against North Korea for continuing their development in nuclear weapons in 2006, 2009, 2013. Yet despite this, on Monday March 14, 2016, DPRK Today reported that a fifth test would be run and a new test involving ballistic missiles would also be included. Mr. Jongun had explained that the reason his country is now involving ballistic missiles is “. . . [so that] the warheads [are able] to survive heat and turbulence while plunging through the atmosphere toward its target, to further enhance the reliance of nuclear attack capability”. It is no secret that North Korea’s leader has had it out for the U.S, but what is the actual reason for creating nuclear weapons? In my opinion, national interest is at play but not because Kim Jongun wants his country to be recognized as a nuclear power as he has mentioned previously. North Korea’s, current leader consolidated authority at the assumed age of 27 in 2011, after his father’s death in December; he is the youngest of his three siblings. Since he has come into power he has ruled just as brutally as his father, killing plenty of his senior officials. One could say that given his “early” age he would need to prove...
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...In year 1990 Korean company, Korean Conglomerate Inc, and a North American company, Western Systems Inc formed joint venture, known as Joint Venture Inc. Both companies played significant role in business are they were - Western Systems Inc had around 50,000 employees worldwide. Korean Conglomerate Inc was an industrial group consisted of more than 40 companies. During joint venture, several projects were launched, several project teams were established for working on different areas of the project. There were established Systems Implementation team consisted of five Korean consultants, one translator, and three North American consultants. Two co-supervisors were assigned to this team - Ellen Moore from American consultants’ side and Jack Kim from Koreans’ side. Consulting project was estimated to be one of the largest undertaken in South Korea to date. Problem There are several factors that affect project results: Cultural gaps between two nations – western and eastern Korean culture has different values than in the North American culture. Korea has long historical influence from religion and philosophy, like Confucian. It has a big impact on persons in business and the business etiquette in Korea. There are several actions what are may be considered as insignificant in western business area, here are very important, like the exchange of business cards, to know how to address a Korean by name, or replenishing a colleague’s drink at dinner, etc. Koreans took care that...
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