It is undeniably true that North Korea is mostly known for its glooms, which include, but are not limited to, human rights violations, dictatorship, starvation, Stalinist communism and isolationist diplomatic policies. Based on those descriptions, many will assume that North Korea could be considered one of the most tyrannical regimes in modern history, especially today. However, one should not assume that it is still the complete hermit kingdom of years past.
According to a recent New York Times article on September 13, North Korea published its own human rights report denying accusations of violating human rights. This is indeed a startling act although North Korea has a consistent history of replying bitterly toward its “enemies” and all those who pose a threat to the North Korean state. However, it has rarely responded with anything beyond military threats or open condemnations broadcasted through its national television until this point.
This time, it chose to publish its own five-chapter report on the state of human rights in the country. Sure, its contents are still hostile to those outside the country, accusing them of using the excuse of human rights violations to intervene in its governmental affairs. However, by openly denying its violations of international human rights laws, it does reveal how conscious North Korea has become of the flow of international affairs. It did participate in the international gatherings occasionally, but never used those opportunities for more than denying criminal accusations from the international community. Therefore, North Korea’s reaction this time can be seen as an unobserved phenomenon.
Ever since Kim Jong-un succeeded the regime following the death of his father Kim Jong-il in 2011, there has been a trend of changes observed in the country. Unfortunately, some of its alterations still remain unapologetically aggressive toward its opponents and neighbors.
The five-chapter report on the state of human rights in the country illustrates a major change of North Korea’s diplomatic approach. Sokeel Park, director of research and strategy at LiNK (Liberty in North Korea), an international non-governmental organization that works with North Korean refugees, stated in a recent CNN report September 15, “Pyongyang knows they are increasingly diplomatically isolated and they are trying to reverse that tide. They see the growing international consensus on the seriousness of their human rights violations as one facet of that diplomatic isolation, so it makes sense to try to counter that explicitly too.”
Then the question rises, is North Korea really changing and if so, how does now differ from the past? In my opinion, it definitely is slowly marching away from the ruins of hardcore communism and isolated diplomacy.
Firstly, North Korea is no longer as isolated as it is portrayed in our media. North Korean defectors speak of the presence and expansion of black markets that trade foreign media, electronic technology and other goods. In this year’s PBS Frontline documentary “Secret State of North Korea”, North Korean citizens were seen using illegal phone cards to make calls abroad or purchase illegal South Korean television videos. People are increasingly becoming aware of the outside world and this recent diplomatic move seems to confirm that North Korea is in the midst of a societal transformation.
Other than this particular move in diplomatic policy, other examples demonstrate how North Korea’s government is changing its approach toward communicating with the international community. According to the recent South Korean news source Segye Ilbo, the North Korean government officially acknowledged the existence of public executions within its borders, in a response to the question asked by a foreigner on the pro-North Korea website. “The public executions are exceptionally rare, but are carried out only by a fair trial to decide the fate of the unforgivably evil accused.”
In this case, North Korea not only acknowledged one of its internationally known brutalities but also revealed its inherent awareness of the lands beyond its borders. Based on the international reports on the country, some parts of this statement seem unacceptably false as those documentations shout this country’s lack of democratic court order, but its more responsive attitude to other countries shown in the statement tends to verify the diplomatic metamorphosis occurring today.
North Korea is one of the largest and most dangerous hotbeds for international conflict today. In order to prevent the worst outcomes of this painful relationship, it is important for all of us around the world to focus more on this country in varying perspectives. North Korea is breaking out of its shell and attempting to swim in the international relations deep end. Our response and focus on them could lead to future harmony or catastrophe. There is no knowing of what its true motives are regarding the sudden display of openness, however, there will less likely be a tumultuous conflict if we listen to them more closely in the future.
Do you think these slight policy changes will create more cooperation from North Korea with the international community? Please send all of your feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
