Contemporary Fascism - North Korea

~Atsuko Miyawaki

http://www.weeklypost.com/030821/brief1.jpg. Viewed on 4/20/04.

http://www.chosunjournal.com/cartoons.html. Viewed on 4/20/04.

The current political leader of North Korea Kim Jong-il took over power the moment of Kim Il-sung's death on July 8 1994. Since then North Korea's regime based on Kim Jong-il's self-centered conception of Juche (Korean philosophical idea: man is the master of the world and his destiny) continues to be one of the most problematic political systems. The most effective political apparatus used in the regime is the extreme hierarchical structure which is divided into three tiers: core, neutral, and antagonist. A large percentage of people in the antagonist tier are sent to concentration camp where the antagonists and their families are kept in the same cage and forced to work 24 hours. All the women who get pregnant in the camp are killed following the main aim of the camp: erasing all generations of antagonists.

http://www.chosunjournal.com/cartoons.html. Viewed on 4/20/04

The fear of concentration camp has risen through the strict surveillance of the general populace. Every single citizen (in the neutral and antagonist tier) must belong to some kind of organization and must be filed. The organization functions as a group-surveillance system: if one person acts against Kim Jong-il, all the members of the group and their families will be sent to concentration camp. In most cases, the "reasons" to be sent to the camp is decided by Kim Jong-il and few people from core tier. In other words, anybody could be sent to the camp for any reasons. North Korea officially named "Democratic People's Republic" paradoxically rules its people through an extreme self-centered dictatorship.

http://www.chosunjournal.com/cartoons.html. Viewed on 4/20/04

Kim Jong-il's closed regime has showed signs of corruption. In September 17 2002, the Japan-Korea summit conference was held in Pyongyang -- the capital of North Korea. Japanese prime minister, Koizumi Junichiro and Kim Jong-il discussed restoring diplomatic relations and announced the Pyongyang joint declaration. The content of this declaration, however, has created larger problems. In the summit Kim Jong-il acknowledged the fact that North Korea has kidnapped more than fifty Japanese citizens of whom eight have died, so far. It was the first time North Korea admitted their illegal act. Despite the acknowledgement, the Japanese government has not pursued further schemes on the issue. Instead prime minister Koizumi signed the declaration announcing an acknowledgement of historical fact of Japanese colonial domination, an enunciation of deep apology for the great damage and suffering caused by the domination, and promising voluntary financial support, and humanitarian support through international organizations. Koizumi has not commented upon the fact that there is no indication in the declaration about on-going crimes committed by North Korea.

Kim Jong-il's regime is now in financial crisis because of the vast investment in the development of nuclear bombs and missiles coupled with Kim Jong-il family's enormous expenses. Since the corruption of the Soviet Union, which used to be North Korea's ally and China's economic liberation, Kim Jong-il lost sources to get oil and coal at special rates. He also stopped the food-supply system for the antagonist and neutral tiers, which was almost the only source for people. Because of people's extreme hunger, production in North Korea has gone down. It is clear that Japan's financial help will go straight to his pocket and will be used for the development of a nuclear bomb, which he believes is only thing to keep his enemies away, and the bomb produced with Japan's support probably will be dropped on Japan. It is not only Japan who provides financial support. The United States and South Korea have provided vast amounts of food that have never reached the people suffering from starvation. The provisions are sold on the black market at a hundred times of the original price and bought by desperate poor people. This illegal (if there is anything legal in first place) money goes to the development of the bomb. Kim Jong-il's military authoritarianism is ironically supported by the international support claming the importance of "humanitarianism." It is necessary to question the international support that helps North Korea - Kim Jong-il's extreme fascist regime.

http://www.chosunjournal.com/cartoons.html. Viewed on 4/20/04