When Kim
II-sung was the ruler of North Korea, people lived by the Juche ideology that
was enforced upon them as a mean to achieve communism. The country followed the
three principles of moving the nation towards claimed "chaju"
(independence from what/where?) by constructing a "charip" (national
economy) and putting a strong emphasis upon "chawi" (self-defence).
Today the power lies in the hands of man named Kim Jung-un. Many believe that North Korea is still a communist country. However, throughout the years Kim has caused
his country to deviated from communism as a result of his love for power and xenophobia.
Marxism
asserts that society’s goal is to become classless and egalitarian. As I read
more articles, it is evident Kim has created his own world in which he has
control of the entire natural, economic and human resources. I think Korea is
no longer a communistic state because he is ignorant towards his people, as he
has not distributed land and property amongst the people, nor has he set
standards of equality --
both economically and socially. The U.S. News writes that according to the KUNI report, "About half of North Korea's population of 24 million lives in extreme poverty. Annual GDP per capita is about $1,800, which ranks 197th in the world, and according to the CIA World Factbook, GDP is 28 times higher in the United States and 18 times higher in South Korea. What is unfortunate is that the oppressed citizens can not deffend themselves against such oppression or they with be punished and sent to labour camps where they will be starved and worked to death. (<--Article link about labour camps can be found in the last paragraph). Fearful of the consequences, the citizens cimply continue to obey and follow the laws that Kim Jung-un sets.
http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/north-korea-hyperinflation-dollarization
Another aspect that can be observed that hints to the fact that
North Korea is not a communist state is the fact that he has isolated North
Korea from the world and only allows tourists to enter the country if they are
under constant surveillance and strict regulations. And although most communist
countries of the twentieth century have been like this to varying degrees:
Russia, Cuba, China, Vietnam, and the former countries of the Soviet Block, Kim
has taken it to a whole other level and I believe that this can be interpreted
as a sign of xenophobia.
In
addition to that, after reading the following website page http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/what-is-marxism-faq.htm and considering what Marxism truly is, I have come to
recognize that it is clearly post-racial, and that Marxism is about all people
being one, no matter what race or ethnicity, because true communism is about moving towards a goal as a collective whole.
However, North Korea’s current regime states that North Koreans are the
most noble ethnicity and are the cleanest and purist where as other Asians are
both morally and genetically inferior to Koreans.
Kim
Jung-un also strongly objects inter-ethical relationships. So for example, if a
woman were to conceive a child with someone who is not North Korean race, the
state (aka Kim) forces the woman to abort the child and sends her to a labor
camp. I consider this as Kim’s xenophobia because his dislike/fear of the person’s
ethnicity is so intense that even if the child would be of Korean blood he
still believes abortion is the way to go. Correspondingly, this type of situation underlies how Kim
hinders the country from being a communism because he puts people into labour camps where they are starved and worked to death, rather than focusing on
directing the country towards a common goal. Business Insider features the
article, ’They are intentionally starvedand worked to death’: The horrific conditions in North Korean labor camps that provides readers with insight as to what labor camps are really like in
North Korea.
The North Korea I Wasn't Meant To See
Work Cited:
Kelly, Robert E. "If North Korea Isn't Communist, Then What Is It?" If North Korea Isn't Communist, Then What Is It? The Interpreter, n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2016.
Sloan, Dan. "Is North Korea a Communist Country?" Web log post.Www.quora.com/Is-North-Korea-a-communist-country. Quora, 22 Mar. 2015. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.
Walters, Joanna. "'They Are Intentionally Starved and Worked to Death': The Horrific Conditions in North Korean Labor Camps." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 18 Mar. 2016. Web. 02 Oct. 2016.
"What Not to Do in North Korea." NewsComAu. World Travel Asia, 15 Mar. 2016. Web. 02 Oct. 2016.
