Change Coming Slowly to North Korea

For the first time in almost 36 years, the congress of dignitaries and military officials have met in Pyongyang to discuss the ever deteriorating affairs of the country after the yearly increase in sanctions. Concerns inside the government over their growing nuclear program along with their laundry list of humans rights violations. Seeing as these two pairs usually go together in most totalitarian regimes, including that none of these things are new. Aside from that, this historical weekend was the first congressional meeting seeing as they are official the “DPRK: Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea.” Unofficial-Official titles being least of the crumbling nation’s problems. An overview is needed to further explain the situation.

Nuclear Capability:

Seeing that most of us have heard of the 2012-2013 North Korean nuclear weapons testing, seeing as the former leader of the nation, Kim Il-Sung has received helped from the former Soviet Union and the “PRC: People’s Republic of China.”  Experiments and dabbling into Nuclear power has started for the country ever since 1967, when the Soviets supplied experimental reactors during the height of the Cold War. Shortly after 1975, their focuses shifted from nuclear energy research to creation of nuclear weapons for their state.

As weapons grade plutonium was able to be energized and refined rather than conventional Uranium, Kim Jong-Il decided to ramp up productions to fast track towards a weapon of mass destruction. Around 1996 when Pakistan and India were able to build nuclear weapons, chief scientists from Pakistan were able to extort key information to the DPRK and their research division. These actions led to other countries such as Egypt, Vietnam, Iran, and Yemen are selling ballistic missile technology to the DPRK, while they supply them with weapons grade nuclear materials.

We now know that North Korea is a rogue state that has access to weapons of mass destruction that are operable within the past 4 years. The most recent leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-Un has pushed weapon development even further, ever since U.N sanctions have been placed upon them. With such a high focus on the military, the already weak economy is in threat of going under ever since the early 2000’s.

In this new North Korea reform, nuclear weapon programs are going to be scaled back as well as their consistent threats made against the U.S and its allies. Whether or not this is to be true, it’s yet to be seen.

Economy And Politics:

While it’s a confusing subject, the ideology that runs North Korea is a hybrid of Marxist/Oligarchy, which is ironic in itself. When the country had its initial Communist revolution backed by the Chinese in the 50’s, Kim Il-Sung set out to create a Marxist state, but later on turned to the more traditional imperial versions of Korea’s history. Using economic systems similar to China at this time while keeping a dynasty of rulers, North Korea has implemented collectivization on all levels from agriculture to manufacturing. Poor conditions, and a massive wage gap has led to two social classes rising, the ones associated with the state, and the proletariat people. With most unable to have enough food to actually sustain its population, most citizens are malnourished to the point where there’s a significant height discrepancy between the modernized South and the North. As this comes as no surprise, new deals outlined by Kim Jong-Un have a “goal” to open up trade with formerly hostile countries, and “normalize relationships.”

With its current state, North Korea has seen a recent boom of the black market in the country. From communication devices to outside media. The people in Pyongyang like to think they have a grip on their people, but about a large percentage of North Koreans know what’s happening in the outside world. Clearly their isolation hasn’t kept up with modern technology.

Aside from that, when Kim Jong-Il died and Kim Jong-Un took power, the military leaders and officials of the country didn’t take him seriously. Many of them were still loyal to his father even in his death or attempted to overthrow him. This lead to the conspirators being executed via anti-aircraft gun. Even one of the conspirators being part of his own family.

The congress’s goal was to “improve living conditions,” which is yet to be determined if these promises will stay true, or are a facade to limit U.N sanctions. Normalizing relations with other countries would be the first step but as far as the western world is concerned, no one is willing to budge.

Military Power:

While North Korea is ranked about the fourth or fifth largest military of the world, their poor economy and old weapons industry does the country no justice. The DPRK has a history of using vastly outdated weapons from as far back as the Second World War, or leftover armaments from the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Their air force and armies are vastly underfunded and poorly equipped, half the time they’re unable to do routine training instructions or have enough ammunition or functional tools to use. None of their soldiers have any military experience and are mostly conscripts who have to serve mandatory military time. The only positive to this is a million man army that is fanatical and large in numbers, any attack from the DPRK would result in the death of the state, Kim Jong-Un is well aware of this, but still has to keep the appearance of power.

Talks and negotiations in the South will reopen shortly, but weapons testings in the Sea of Japan will still continue, as North Korea implemented a policy of reunification and non-provocative threats. The Korean Peninsula will almost never see reunification, like most of the treaty, it is unknown if these plans will be put into place. Even South Korea is hesitant about talks of unification, as the north would become an economic burden.

Concluding on May 8th, the three day congress has brought to light the issues that North Korea is facing and brought it to light of its people and not being covered up. Vice (the popular media outlet) back in 2012 released a documentary on a tour of North Korea, and saw just how much the state had control over every aspect of life. (Link Here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtuFaEy4jzE&ab_channel=CezarPimentelFilho)
Seeing as though they seek to modernize, this either signals a future for the people of Korea, or the signs of the worse yet to come.