North Korean Political Factions

The “Soviet faction” was largely composed of Soviet-Koreans who had entered the Peninsula during the Soviet occupation towards the end of WWII and entered the North Korean Communist Party on the basis of their membership in the Soviet Communist Party. The “Yan’an faction” refers to Koreans who had fought against the Japanese in the Yan’an area of China alongside the Chinese Communist Party.

Comments

Best click

There is no longer a single actor called ‘North Korea’

*Another gloomy day in Pyongyang. Are we truly seeing North Korea as it is? @iStock Il Young Jeong Research Professor_Institute of Social Science_Sogang University It has been over five years since inter-Korean dialogue was suspended. In relation to this, discussions are ongoing about how to forge new inter-Korean relations. Throughout this process, numerous researchers and journalists have been discussing the crisis and changes in North Korea. However, there seems to be something missing in their discussions. Can we really generalize the subject we are researching and reporting on as “North Korea”? I believe that we can no longer single out and generalize events happening in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula with the subject "North Korea." But why is that? We can no longer generalize under the name "North Korea." From my perspective, until the economic crisis of the mid-1990s, the social community in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula could be cal...

We need to rebuild the damaged research ecosystem for North Korea studies

*An academic conference is being held to discuss building peace on the Korean Peninsula. ⓒ Il Young Jeong Il Young Jeong Senior Research Fellow_Institute of Social Science_Sogang University Subject phrases such as “North Korea’s,” “North Korea is,” and “As for North Korea … ” are frequently encountered in recent academic conferences and media reports dealing with the Korean Peninsula. These expressions have become familiar, yet they evoke a certain sense of discomfort. At some point, we grew accustomed to understanding the space of “North Korea” as a single, unified actor called “North Korea.” This article criticizes the current tendency to place the space of North Korea into a black box and interpret it as a monolithic entity, and proposes restoring the research ecosystem on North Korea as a way to address this problem. Two Wings for Understanding North Korea The space we call North Korea is shrouded in secrecy. It is likely one of the most isolated countri...

855 Political Scientists from Korea and Abroad in Support of the Impeachment of South Korean President Yoon

*Citizens of South Korea are holding a rally outside the National Assembly, demanding the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol. A Declaration by Political Scientists of South Korea <Call for an Immediate Reintroduction and the Passage of the Impeachment Bill to Restore the Constitutional Order> The emergency martial law declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol on December 3rd, 2024, is, without a doubt, an insurrection. The unconstitutional and anti-democratic emergency martial law renders irrelevant the differences in the political parties we support, our political values, or our beliefs. Yoon threatened the fundamental rights of citizens with the martial law declaration that did not meet the constitutional requirements, and attempted to dissolve the National Assembly, which even emergency martial law does not allow. Fortunately, Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempted insurrection was thwarted thanks to the collective efforts of vigilant citizens, some conscientious military servic...

The Korean Odyssey

Search This Blog