Opinion - The Korea Times

Why did they close Gaeseong?

By Andrei Lankov In early April, the North Korean government did something it had not dared to do before: it recalled all North Korean workers from the Gaeseong Industrial Complex ― by far the largest inter-Korean economic project.Later in the month, South Korea duly reciprocated by recalling South Korean managers from the zone, and so for the first time in nearly a decade the joint factory park is empty and idle.The future of the zone seems uncertain, even though it is likely that the resumption of its operation will take some time (assuming that it happens at all). So far, the North Korean side has been relatively careful and has tried not to burn bridges.When a high-level North Korean official made a statement about the withdrawal of North Korean workers, he was careful to emphasize that the future of the zone depends on South Korean actions. It is also notable that the North Korean side allowed South Korean managers leave the zone unharmed.The position of the South is quite clear. It is willing to resume normal operations in the zone, but it is not willing to bow to Nor

May 19, 2013By Andrei Lankov

Andrei Lankov

No longer a Stalinist state

By Andrei LankovEven though North Korea is often described as a “Stalinist” nation, this label has long become anachronistic. The last 15 years have seen the dramatic rise of the market economy in the North.On paper, nearly all houses in North Korea belong to the state. The only accepted exception are individual houses lived in by the same family since 1945. If such a house was the private property of the family in question before liberation they are still considered to be owners of the house ― but the number of such houses is very small.Nonetheless, the housing market does exist in North Korea. Entrepreneurial North Koreans have found a loophole in the rather strict real estate laws in their country. While property sales are banned, it remains perfectly legal to swap your houses with someone else ― that is, as long as both houses are located within the same town or county. Therefore, people swap good houses for inferior accommodation and receive very significant compensation from the buyers of their house. In some other cases, rich North Koreans use the ac

May 5, 2013By Andrei Lankov

Andrei Lankov

Media-spawned scare

By Andrei LankovPyongyang once again has the world’s attention and the North Korean leaders are clearly enjoying their recent experience. If we need any more proof that the North is remarkably adept at manipulating the world media, we could not find better than the events of the last few weeks.With little if any discernable reason, North Korea suddenly began to shower the world with rather graphic and dramatic threats. The North Korean government portal uploaded their battle plan for conquering the South in four days. Kim Jong-un was himself shown standing in front of a large chart that presented the “plan for a nuclear attack on the United States.” The Japanese were told that North Koreans can arrange for a few more Hiroshimas as well.Needless to say, while being rather disgusting, the threats are entirely empty and are merely a diplomatic game. The North Korean government is not suicidal and has not the slightest intention to start a war they have no chance to win. North Korea also lacks the ability to carry out such threats with their as yet crude delivery system

Apr 21, 2013By Andrei Lankov

Andrei Lankov

Behind N. Korea's rhetoric

By Andrei Lankov Over the last month, the world media has again begun to write about “growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.” Some have gone even so far as to hint that a new Korean War could be on the way. When Pyongyang promises to make Seoul a “sea of fire,” there is little wonder that such statements are relatively common.However, South Koreans are not particularly worried. The ongoing stream of bellicose rhetoric emanating from Pyongyang is a fact of life on the Korean Peninsula. There is little reason to worry that some conflict might happen, as experience has taught us that North Korea uses rhetoric when they do not intent to attack, and when they actually attack they do so without warning.Nonetheless, the intensity of the campaign is rather unusual. In the past, the North Korean government has made outlandish declarations but seldom if ever has it threatened the outside world with such frequency and abandon. It appears that North Korean diplomats are playing an old tune now, but are playing it at a very high volume.There are two possible explan

Apr 7, 2013By Andrei Lankov

Andrei Lankov

On Sino-Korean border

By Andrei LankovI spent the last two weeks of February in China, travelling along the Sino-North Korean border. I have not been to the area for four years, and of course, it has changed quite a bit ― and it seems that the most significant of all changes have occurred on the border itself.In the past, the international media often wrote about Chinese measures aimed at beefing up border security. However, as a frequent visitor to this area in the years 2005-2009, I had to smile at such statements. From my own experience, as well as those of trusted contacts, I can say with some confidence that China did not care much about border security until recently.So, I was surprised to see a barbed wire fence erected across the entire stretch of the border. The construction of the fence began in 2010, and was largely completed in late 2012. There are said to be parts of the border where the fence does not yet extend. These areas though are very remote, and construction is reportedly continuing in those areas, so the fence will encompass the entire border very soon.Admittedly, my local contacts t

Mar 24, 2013By Andrei Lankov

Andrei Lankov

Marriage in N. Korea

By Andrei LankovPeople marry ― most do, anyway. The institution of marriage has gone through numerous transformations, but overall it has been one of the most stable features of human society.In North Korea, it is widely assumed that every person should marry. Divorce is possible but rare, and single motherhood, while not unknown, is exceptional. The general assumption is that a North Korean woman should get married by the time she turns 25 or so. Men can postpone marriage for a few more years, until they turn 30, but no longer. Staying single is decidedly not an option.How do North Koreans marry, and what are their choice marriage partners?The majority of marriages still result from negotiations between families. Friends, relatives and co-workers introduce a potentially suitable partner. Candidates may be rejected, but excessive fussiness is usually frowned upon. Additionally, both prospective bride and groom are usually under pressure to tie the knot before they pass the marriageable age.It is not unusual, though, for people to marry people they have found themselves, although it i

Mar 10, 2013By Andrei Lankov

Andrei Lankov

Ritual sanctions

By Andrei LankovIt would be an exaggeration to say that North Korea’s third nuclear test came out of the blue. It is well known that nuclear tests go well with missile launches in Pyongyang’s milieu. After the successful (the first successful) test of a long-range missile in December the nuclear test followed soon.The test left little room for surprise. There is widespread condemnation, and we can pretty confidently expect a new, harshly worded resolution to come from the U.N. Security Council in the near future. It seems that China will support this resolution, too ― after all, it went to great lengths to prevent the test, though it ultimately failed in its efforts.Earlier experiences have, however, demonstrated what will come of these international efforts. The short answer is nothing. Sanctions do not work, though this will be hard for many to accept.The recent test has once again demonstrated the ineffectiveness of sanctions. North Korea has been subject to an increasingly harsh sanctions regime since 2006. During this period, Pyongyang has tested two more nuclea

Feb 24, 2013By Andrei Lankov

Andrei Lankov

Where have all dissenters gone?

By Andrei LankovIt was just another research interview of the type I have experienced more or less every week for years.A North Korean woman in her early thirties was talking about her (and her parents) frantic search for a suitable husband in North Korea during the early 2000s. The North Korean woman said with disappointment, "My parents would have liked me to marry a guy from the secret police, but our social background was not good enough for me to attract such an individual.”This remark is actually quite typical. One of the most striking features of the average North Korean defector is the remarkable lack of hostility they show toward the North Korean state in general and its repressive system in particular.This is clearly not applicable to politically active refugees, who are frequently featured in the media. However, the politically motivated constitute a small fraction of the 24,000 strong refugee community in Seoul.The average refugee is apolitical and rather different. Around three-quarters of defectors are women and they harbor few illusions about the system. Official

Feb 11, 2013By Andrei Lankov

Andrei Lankov

Tech fetishism in N. Korea

By Andrei LankovA few weeks ago, I witnessed a discussion between a prominent historian and a young leftist with moderate pro-North Korean sympathies.The young firebrand said that North Korea ``clearly wants to change things, they are sending engineers to study overseas.” The historian was quick to retort that ``it is clear that they do not want to reform, precisely because they sent people overseas to study engineering, not finance, management or economics.”Indeed, the North Korean government (and, for that matter, many other Leninist regimes worldwide) share a peculiar feature which for want of a better word I would describe as ``technological fetishism.” They believed ― and in North Korea’s case still believe ― that all of their social and economic problems can be solved through the acquisition of the right technology.From a classical Marxist point of view, such an attitude is naive. Both Marx and his disciples never tired of emphasizing the significance of social structures and stressed that no amount of technology can make up for a deficient social struct

Jan 27, 2013By Andrei Lankov

Andrei Lankov

Sad truth about N. Korean missiles

By Andrei LankovThe political dust, which was created by North Korea’s successful rocket launch is beginning to settle. Predictably, there has been the usual amount of tough talk from Seoul, Washington and Tokyo as well as the somewhat half-hearted and muted condemnation from Moscow and Beijing.The North Korean government is celebrating and showering its engineers and scientists with awards and honorary titles, while also insisting that its missile program will continue ― no surprise there either.It is an open secret that rockets for launching satellites into space are nearly identical to long-range missiles used to send warheads to faraway countries. Admittedly, there are some differences as well. For example, in order to develop credible intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capability, North Korea will have to develop and test a reliable re-entry vehicle to protect the warhead from burning up on re-entry.It will have to do some work on guidance systems and it will have to conduct many launches to test these systems. Finally, yet importantly, North Korea must greatly cut

Jan 13, 2013By Andrei Lankov

Andrei Lankov

Read more

Why did they close Gaeseong?

No longer a Stalinist state

Media-spawned scare

Behind N. Korea's rhetoric

On Sino-Korean border

Marriage in N. Korea

Ritual sanctions

Where have all dissenters gone?

Tech fetishism in N. Korea

Sad truth about N. Korean missiles

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