06-01, 16:30–16:55 (Europe/Prague), Root Stage
This presentation aims to outline the core ideologies and major policies of North Korea that have been the building blocks of the regime’s political, economic, and ultimately human rights approaches in the name of realising a utopian vision of national security and independence.
This presentation aims to outline the core ideologies and major policies of North Korea that have been the building blocks of the regime’s political, economic, and ultimately human rights approaches in the name of realising a utopian vision of national security and independence. I seek to use this presentation as a point of discussion for a sustainable and humane future for North Korea.
Since Kim Jong Un’s reign in 2011, he has introduced some changes in the political economy, through the re- emphasis on economic development to improve people’s livelihoods. This is reflected in the shift in 2013 from the military- first Songun policy to the Byungjin policy, which entails the parallel development of both military and economic sectors. Nonetheless, there have been no profound or substantive changes in North Korean politics, and the vulnerability of the regime, which was established on the hereditary inheritance of power and its dictatorial rule depends heavily on the military for its own survival. Hence, the principle of Songun remains a dominant doctrine in policy making and the regime continues to rely on the revised historical narratives of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, the new blend of “Kimilsungism- Kimjongilism”, founded on the official autarkic state ideology, Juche (meaning ‘self-reliance’), in protecting independence and socialism. Paradoxical to self-reliance as a central pillar of its official ideology, the regime has heavily relied on international aid for food and to support economy. Together with this, the official version of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) ‘our style human rights’ strongly represents collective rights and ideology, comprising four principal tenets: ‘(i) the right to national survival, (ii) dictatorship as the protection of human rights, (iii) granted by the fatherly leader, (iv) the use of duty-based language of human rights.’ Under these ideologies and government policies, the development of nuclear weapons has accelerated, whilst raising serious concerns about human rights, food security and economic sustainability of the country.
I propose a sustainable and humane future for North Korea is achievable through bottom-up movements within the DPRK, in conjunction with collective pressures from international communities and nation-states.
Dr Hyun-Joo Lim is Principal Academic in Sociology and Inclusivity Lead at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at Bournemouth University (BU). Originally from South Korea, her research interests have been developed around gender, identity, the experiences of East Asian migrants, and socially marginalised and ethnically diverse individuals and groups in the UK. Her first book, 'East Asian Mothers in Britain: An Intersectional Exploration of Motherhood and Employment', was published in 2018 by Palgrave Macmillan. Her 2nd book, 'North Korean Women and Defection: Human Rights Violations and Activism', was published in 2023 by Bristol University Press. Her recent publications also include a working paper, Lim, H-J. (2022) ‘Cycle of Oppression: Violations of Human Rights against Women Inside and Outside North Korea’, published by Heidelberg Centre for East Asian Studies Working Paper Series. Other articles relating to North Korean defectors’ experiences and human rights include: Lim, H-J. (2021) ‘Human Rights Activism among North Korean Refugees in the UK: Hope for A Democratic Future?’, in the Journal of Human Rights and Social Work; Lim, H-J. (2021) ‘Traversing’: Familial Challenges for Escaped North Koreans’ in the Journal of Refugee Studies. Currently, she is conducting a collaborative and co-creative research project, ‘Allyship in Action’, with colleagues and students at BU. Additionally, Dr Lim has recently been awarded the British Academy and Leverhulme Grant for her 2-year project, ‘How Effective are Menopause Policies at Universities in England?’, to examine the effectiveness of menopause policies in practice in English Higher Educational institutions.