By Casey Lartigue Jr.
As if diplomatic failures over the past seventy years haven't been enough, the video of an alleged North Korean re-defector and a speech by a former member of North Korea's elite are the latest reminders of the challenges facing those dealing with North Korea.
Jang Jin-sung, a former member of the North Korean government information warfare division, said last month in a speech at the TNKR Global Leadership Forum that there are two main reasons why the North Korean regime hasn't collapsed
One, North Korea survives because the United States and South Korea treat it like a normal country. The North's leadership won't negotiate away its nukes or give up power, as hopes have sprung eternally over the last seven decades. The North Korean elite have one goal: Survival on its own terms. Juche once upon a time may have been envisioned as a way to build a great country, but now it is for the elite to live in luxury.
They are living the good life, treating North Korea like personal property. The bad news is that they are bloodsucking tyrants exploiting wealth and ruining the lives of many others. The good news is that those selfish bastards won't start a war with the U.S. or South Korea because they don't want an interruption in the flow of expensive wine, food and cars from abroad.
Will the latest presidents of South Korea and the U.S. make a difference? Moon Jae-In is a supporter of the sunshine policy, but North Korea only allows in enough sunshine to grab goodies from abroad. That won't change even if Moon issues more statements from Germany.
President Donald Trump is the wild card. He is known for "Art of the Deal" negotiations, but how can you make a deal with someone who refuses to sit at the table or have a burger with you? Trump has tried both tough talk and dangled possible meetings. The regime has seen various tactics over the decades, and gotten back to its work of exploiting North Koreans and testing its missiles.
A second reason the regime survives is due to its policy of punishing family members for the crimes of others. Escaping North Korea, Jang said, means you must betray not only your country, but also your family.
This context is missing or mentioned in passing when morality questions about North Korean refugees land on college philosophy exams and in the media. North Koreans are living it with stakes higher than grade point averages or web hits, the consequence that their entire families could be wiped out from the moment they consider escaping from North Korea.
The video of the North Korean re-defector grabbed international headlines. Was she a spy? Abducted while trying to help family members escape? Inquiring minds wanted to know.
North Korea is not a normal country, the questions lack context. North Koreans are, as refugee author Yeonmi Park has said, "kidnapped at birth." North Korean refugee Jihyun Park has said all of North Korea is a prison. The system forces all-or-nothing bad choices about staying or leaving.
Engagement, sanctions, strategic patience, has anything worked? An internal revolution, which is the best solution, seems unlikely as long as entire families can be wiped out for plotting against the regime.
There aren't many good choices when it comes to a regime that brutalizes its own citizens and rarely negotiates with outsiders. The popular prediction, dating back to the early 1990s, has been that the regime would collapse within five to seven years. That prediction has been based on the illusion of North Korea being a normal country.
North Korean refugee Lee Ae-ran sees the regime for what it is _ a "murderous demonic gang." She openly lobbies for the third North Korean dictator to be assassinated. I'm not suggesting that, but it will take abnormal means to deal with an abnormal country. So far Moon has shown he will treat North Korea like a normal country that can be reasoned with. Trump, the deal-maker, hasn't completely shown his hand.
Casey Lartigue Jr. can be reached at CJL@post.harvard.edu
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Jang Jin-sung, a former member of the North Korean government information warfare division, said last month in a speech at the TNKR Global Leadership Forum that there are two main reasons why the North Korean regime hasn't collapsed
One, North Korea survives because the United States and South Korea treat it like a normal country. The North's leadership won't negotiate away its nukes or give up power, as hopes have sprung eternally over the last seven decades. The North Korean elite have one goal: Survival on its own terms. Juche once upon a time may have been envisioned as a way to build a great country, but now it is for the elite to live in luxury.
They are living the good life, treating North Korea like personal property. The bad news is that they are bloodsucking tyrants exploiting wealth and ruining the lives of many others. The good news is that those selfish bastards won't start a war with the U.S. or South Korea because they don't want an interruption in the flow of expensive wine, food and cars from abroad.
Will the latest presidents of South Korea and the U.S. make a difference? Moon Jae-In is a supporter of the sunshine policy, but North Korea only allows in enough sunshine to grab goodies from abroad. That won't change even if Moon issues more statements from Germany.
President Donald Trump is the wild card. He is known for "Art of the Deal" negotiations, but how can you make a deal with someone who refuses to sit at the table or have a burger with you? Trump has tried both tough talk and dangled possible meetings. The regime has seen various tactics over the decades, and gotten back to its work of exploiting North Koreans and testing its missiles.
A second reason the regime survives is due to its policy of punishing family members for the crimes of others. Escaping North Korea, Jang said, means you must betray not only your country, but also your family.
This context is missing or mentioned in passing when morality questions about North Korean refugees land on college philosophy exams and in the media. North Koreans are living it with stakes higher than grade point averages or web hits, the consequence that their entire families could be wiped out from the moment they consider escaping from North Korea.
The video of the North Korean re-defector grabbed international headlines. Was she a spy? Abducted while trying to help family members escape? Inquiring minds wanted to know.
North Korea is not a normal country, the questions lack context. North Koreans are, as refugee author Yeonmi Park has said, "kidnapped at birth." North Korean refugee Jihyun Park has said all of North Korea is a prison. The system forces all-or-nothing bad choices about staying or leaving.
Engagement, sanctions, strategic patience, has anything worked? An internal revolution, which is the best solution, seems unlikely as long as entire families can be wiped out for plotting against the regime.
There aren't many good choices when it comes to a regime that brutalizes its own citizens and rarely negotiates with outsiders. The popular prediction, dating back to the early 1990s, has been that the regime would collapse within five to seven years. That prediction has been based on the illusion of North Korea being a normal country.
North Korean refugee Lee Ae-ran sees the regime for what it is _ a "murderous demonic gang." She openly lobbies for the third North Korean dictator to be assassinated. I'm not suggesting that, but it will take abnormal means to deal with an abnormal country. So far Moon has shown he will treat North Korea like a normal country that can be reasoned with. Trump, the deal-maker, hasn't completely shown his hand.
Casey Lartigue Jr. can be reached at CJL@post.harvard.edu
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