Human Rights and the Characteristics of the North Korean System
A. Human Rights Abuses as a Result of Totalitarian Dictatorship
The human rights situation in North Korea is a result of its political system. After the liberation of Korea in 1945, North Korea established a socialist system based on the doctrines of Marxism- Leninism. The Korean Workers’ Party (KWP) monopolized state power and nationalized all industrial facilities and land. The socialist regime implemented a “centrally planned economic system” and reorganized the North Korean society according to the principles of collectivism. In the 1950s, after the Korean War, North Korea transformed itself into a “garrison state,” “ruled by professionals who relied on violent means.”1
North Korea today bears all the characteristics of a totalitari- an socialist system. All sectors of its society—economic, social, and cultural—are managed with the view that national security is
1_Harold Lasswell, “The Garrison State and Specialists on Violence,” American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 46 (January 1941).
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Human Rights and the Characteristics of the North Korean Regime
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51 the first priority.2Consequently, the fundamental human rights of North Korean citizens are structurally breached by the powers of the Party and state. In short, North Korean citizens are not guaranteed the freedoms of speech, expression, travel, residence, or relocation—
even individual jobs are “assigned” by the Party.
As the ideological rift between the Soviet and Chinese deepened in the 1960s, the Kim Il-sung regime formulated an ideology called “Juche,” promoting it as a guiding ideology that would stand equal to Marxism-Leninism. “Juche” was embraced as the Party’s
“sole guiding ideology,” and was used to justify the personality cult around Kim Il Sung and the succession of power to his descendents.
In 1974, North Korea announced “10 Principles for the Safeguarding of the Party’s Unitary Ideological System,” stipulating that only Kim Il-sung’s teachings were to be respected as absolute instructions.
As a result, a policy that idolized Kim Il-sung was implemented nationwide. This policy also justified the hereditary succession of power to Kim Il-sung’s son, Kim Jong-il.
Since the 1980s, the North Korean economy has shown almost no growth due to the fundamental contradictions inherent in a socialist economy. The grain ration for North Korean citizens was drastically reduced and the “two meals a day” campaign was launched to encourage citizens to eat less.
After Kim Il-sung passed away in July 1994, Kim Jong-il, as Chairman of the National Defense Commission, assumed power
2_By “totalitarian system,” we mean a system that bears following characteristics: ①A carefully designed ruling ideology, ②Rule by one “mass-based” political party led by one dictator, ③A system of physical and psychological terror enforced by secret police, ④ A complete monopoly over mass media, including radio, newspapers, and movies, ⑤An effective monopoly over the armed forces, ⑥Centralized command/
control over the economic system. See Carl J. Friedrich and Zbigniew K. Brzezinski, Totalitarian Dictatorship and Autocracy, 2nd ed. (Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1965).
and implemented a new legislation called “military-first politics.” The
“military-first” idea was meant to complement Juche by designating the military as the key force behind North Korea. According to the
“military-first” theory, if the military takes the lead and plays an exemplary role in all sectors—political, economic, cultural, and ideological—the citizens’ creative capabilities and activities would also be greatly increased.3 Military-first politics attributed North Korea’s situation to the aggressive policies of imperialist powers, justifying the excessive diversion of national finances and resources towards empowering the military. Empowerment of the military included the development of missiles and nuclear weapons.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Eastern European bloc, the North Korean economy retained persistent and deep-rooted problems. Furthermore, the Kim Jong-il regime exacerbated the struggling economy by designating excessive resources to the military. North Korea became a “failed state” and was rendered unable to provide even the minimum standard of living for its citizens. In 2010, the academic journal Foreign Policy labeled Kim Jong-il, chairman of North Korea’s National Defense Commission, the “worst dictator in the world” and ranked North Korea 19th among the “world’s failed states.”4 In 2011, North Korea was ranked 22nd among failed counties.5
As the people’s confidence in the North Korean regime decreased, Chairman Kim Jong-il sought to reclaim authority through the development of nuclear weapons. However, he unexpectedly suffered a cerebral apoplexy and had to undergo an operation. The
3_Kim Bong-ho, The Great Military-first Age(Pyongyang: Pyongyang Publishers, 2004), p. 83.
4_Foreign PolicyJuly/August 2010, pp. 76-90.
5_Foreign PolicyJuly/August 2011, pp. 48-49.
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53 deteriorating health of Chairman Kim Jong-il caused uncertainties about the regime’s future, and North Korea began to contemplate hereditary succession. In the process, North Korea opted for a hard-line policy at home and abroad. In an attempt to exhibit its national stability, North Korea test-fired a long-range missile on April 5, 2009. On May 25th of that year, North Korea carried out a second nuclear test, which incurred international sanctions under Resolution No. 1874 of the UN Security Council.6 On March 26, 2010, as tensions rose between North Korea and the international community, a North Korean submarine launched a torpedo against the Cheonan, a South Korean warship, instantly sinking the vessel.
As for internal matters, North Korea promoted the People’s Safety Agency to the Department of the People’s Safety, increasing the organization’s surveillance and control over the people. The department increased border patrols and began to severely crack down on defectors. Agents from intelligence agencies such as the National Security Agency were dispatched throughout China to round up North Korean defectors, and the defectors repatriated to North Korea incurred severe punishments. It was also reported that the remaining family members of defectors were banished to remote regions such as Yanggang Province.
On September 28, 2010, at the third Party Delegate’s Conference, North Korea formalized its power succession by appointing Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-il’s 27-year-old third son, to deputy chairman of the Party’s Central Military Commission. The
6_UN Security Council Resolution 1874 reinforced Resolution 1718 which was adopted right after the first nuclear weapon test of North Korea with further sanctions.
The key sanctions include banning all weapons exports from the country and most imports, seizing and searching cargo ships, and economic and commercial sanctions.
UN Security Council, Resolution 1874 (2009), Adopted by the Security Council at its 6141st meeting, June 12, 2009.
third Party Delegate’s Conference was the first conference to be convened in 44 years. On November 23, 2010, North Korea fired artillery shells at Yeonpyeong Island, yet again escalating military tension between North and South Korea. In 2011, the North Korean regime sought to stabilize Kim Jong-un’s power by taking disciplinary action against powerful elites in the Party and government and continuing its coercive control over the people. North Korean authorities increased security against defection attempts around the border and heightened efforts to prevent outside information from entering the country.7 On December 17th of that year, Kim Jong-il suddenly passed away, leaving Kim Jong-un with an unstable political power base. After Kim Jong-il’s death, North Korea strived to stabilize its political system by pushing Kim Jong-un to the forefront.
These developments cast doubts on North Korea’s ability to facilitate the improvement of human rights and living standards during its power transition.