Communism: The Effects On North Korea

Communism: The Effects on North Korea “North Korea is one of the most secretive countries on earth. It’s regarded as an intelligence black hole” (“Inside North Korea”). North Korea, a communist dictatorship, is known to be very secretive, but also is one of the cruelest countries on earth to its people. “Communism is a political, social, and economic system in which the government is based on a collective society with land, property, and economic activities controlled by the state” (Lansford 9). The North Korean government does not like to show the world what really happens inside their country. “A U.S.-based rights group has estimated that there are up to 200,000 political prisoners in North Korea” (“North Korea Profile”). Many of the
people living in the camps are just the family members of the prisoners. Citizens can be sent to these work camps if they talked badly against the government or other minor crimes. The communist government of North Korea causes civilians to live in extreme conditions and suffer the wrath of their leaders and soldiers. The lives of the innocent could benefit if a new form of government takes place to stop the pain and suffering.
Korea did not experience communism until 1948 when the north side and the south side broke up into two different countries: North and South Korea. During WWII, the Allied Forces coerced the Japanese Imperial Forces out of Korea. Communist Russia occupied the north side while the democratic U.S. backed the south. Once tension started building up between Russia and the U.S., it was impossible to bring the two sides back together as one country. The north took in communism and the south adopted democracy (Shah). When North Korea embraced communism, a young man named Kim Il Sung began to lead the new country. He was respected by many in North Korea and even adored by some. “In 1950, Kim Il Sung invaded the south to unify the country” (“Inside North Korea”). This led to the Korean War and the south side along with the help of America fought to stop communism from entering the southern border. The south never was reunited with the north and the communist ways continue to stay with North Korea only. Currently, a 148 mile long border divides the north and south from each other. The long border is called “the 38th Parallel.” This is the most heavily guarded border in the world (“Inside North Korea”). South Korea strictly guards this border because they do not want North Korean spies or any military personnel to enter into their country and gain any information to the north that could affect them. Also, the south wants to defend their borders so much to protect them from communism spreading into their country. Because of the terrible conditions North Korean citizens live through every day, South Korea wants to stop all threats of bringing communism into their country and ruining their own way of life.
Since North Korea became a country, they have had three leaders that have controlled the country under the reigns of communism.
North Korea’s first communist leader was Kim Il Sung. He, along with the Russian government, founded the country and put communism in place as the North Korean form of government. Kim Il Sung set “Juche” as North Korea’s economic system (“Communism: North Korea”). “Juche” is a form of self-reliance. It is a mixture of xenophobic nationalism (unreasonably fearful of or hating anyone or anything foreign or strange), central planning and economic independence. Using this self-reliant economy, Kim Il Sung ruled until he died in 1994. After his death, his son, Kim Jong Il, ruled with identical tactics as his father. Even though North Korea tried to produce all their needs domestically, Kim Jong Il loved importing meals, goods, and clothes from other countries around the world (“Communism: North Korea”). Kim Jong Il was an absolute dictator who was worshipped in a personality cult that was more extreme than any other in any country (“Inside North Korea). A historian on North Korea, Michael Breen, says, “Kim Jong Il was the son of god in North Korea. He was the state. The notion of questioning his ability to rule never entered into things” (“Inside North Korea”). In 2011, Kim Jong Il died and all the power was given to his youngest son Kim Jong Un. After he died, Kim Jong Il was given the title “eternal general secretary” of the party and “eternal
chairman” of the National Defense Commission. Kim Jong Il’s father, Kim Il Sung, had received the title “eternal president” when he passed away as well (“North Korea”). Kim Jong Un is currently the supreme leader of North Korea. He rules with an iron fist just like his father and grandfather. Because the country is based around “Juche”, it is hard to produce all the necessities people need such as food. Since the mid-1990s, aid agencies around the world have estimated around two million people have died from starvation caused by food shortages that were due to natural disasters and economic mismanagement (“North Korea Profile”). The effects on North Korean citizens are very severe because of the country’s leader’s philosophy of self-reliance, and thousands of people will continue to suffer from the lack of food and other necessary items.
Communism affects citizens all over the country. Thousands of people suffer from the consequences that the government has left in North Korea. There is a major gap between North Korea’s medical care and other countries medical care. German physician and human rights activist Norbert Vollertsen said: “Of course, the North Korean government will tell you everything is free in North Korea. It’s not true because it’s not available. There is no medicine. There is no running water. There is even no soap in the hospitals (“Inside North Korea”). Since there are barely any decent medical facilities, thousands of people overcome with sickness and die a lot younger than in developed countries. Also, many thousands of people become blind because the lack of proper hospitals and the poor living conditions there. In 2006, Doctor Sanduk Ruit went into North Korea to perform one thousand surgeries on the blind. Once the surgeries were completed, the doctor and his staff began to take off the blindfolds on those who were treated. Each time a person could see, they did not thank the doctor but they walked up to a picture of Kim Il Sung and thanked him (“Inside North Korea”). The effects on the children in North Korea are devastating. Lisa Ling, a T.V. correspondent for National Geographic, explains: “The average seven year old boy is eight inches shorter and twenty-two pounds lighter than his brother in South Korea” (“Inside North Korea”). The effects of communism are oppressive, but they do not affect all citizens. A little over three million people live in North Korea’s capital city Pyongyang. Pyongyang holds most of the privileged citizens of the county. Big supporters of the government are allowed to live there (“Inside North Korea”). The capital city has countless amounts of posters of the three leaders: Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Un. North Korea’s communist government takes a huge toll on its people, but they do not complain to anyone about it or else they have risk of going to internment camps or death. The people of North Korea worship but also fear their leaders. They rarely oppose them or else they could live in a prison camp for the rest of their lives or be killed. North Korea’s citizens depend on their communist government to provide them with food and protection. The citizens have lived with oppression for decades, but many of the people do not want to change their government because they have dealt with it for so long and they are used to it.
A solution that can stop communism’s reign in North Korea is to wait out the rule. After North Korea loses it communist rule, countries around the world can work together to put in a new form of government. As soon as the communist control in the country starts to dissolve, the citizens of North Korea could start fighting the government alongside of many different world countries that want to end communism in all countries. World powers desire to end North Korea’s communism because they have recently obtained nuclear weapons that they could threaten many countries with or sell them to terrorist organizations (“Inside North Korea”). World powers do not want to have to go to war with North Korea because of the loss of lives, the cost, the damage it causes, and many other reasons; this is why waiting out the communist reign in North Korea is the best option. This idea worked with Syria and Libya because once the countries’ governments started to collapse, rebels along with other countries fought to out a new government in place. If the North Korean citizens can outlast communism’s control until the country’s government starts to diffuse, then the people of North Korea can fight the government with the help of a variety of countries.
Communism has turned North Korea into one of the world’s most feared and hated countries.
Their government’s ways of ruling with a communist leash has led to extreme conditions affecting the citizens there. If anyone is reported of talking or even thinking against the regime, they will most likely die or end up living the rest of their life in prison (“Inside North Korea”). Because the North Korean government has taken a huge toll on its citizens, many countries around the world wish to change their form of government. If these countries along with the citizens of North Korea wait until communism’s leash begins to die out, then they can help each other to finish off the devastating consequences the communist government of North Korea has had for
decades.

Works Cited
“Communism: North Korea.” Historical Boys’ Clothing. 3 Dec 2009. Web. 28 Apr 2013.
Dhruti Shah. “North Korea- a country never at peace.” BBC News. 9 Apr 2013. Web. 25 Apr 2013.
“Inside North Korea.” Peter Yost. National Geographic. 2007. Film.
“North Korea.” CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest, 2013. Web. 23 Apr 2013.
“North Korea Profile.” BBC News. 18 Apr 2013. Web. 25 Apr 2013.
Lansford, Tom. Communsim. Tarrytown, New York. Marshall Cavendish Corporation. 2008. Print.