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 called a unified actor under the name “North Korea.” Kim Il-sung established a panopticon-like social control system in the North Korean region through the Korean War. In an almost complete central supply system, the members could not survive outside the state’s control. This was supported by Juche ideology, which justified the absolute authority of the “leader” as the brain of the “socio-political organism” and the dominance of the Korean Workers' Party. This is why, despite the famine of the 1990s, during which millions of residents starved to death, not a single riot occurred.

The economic crisis of the 1990s shattered the myth of the leader and the state that “provided everything.” With the death of Kim Il-sung, who had seemed destined to live an eternal life, the socio-political organism called North Korea was dealt an irreversible blow. Eventually, during the Kim Jong-il era, the Korean Workers' Party declared that “there are no more freebies.” The once solid central supply system had no choice but to cohabit with the market. Although an attempt was made to strike the market (actors) through currency reform in 2009, the state ultimately lost the people’s trust and had to acknowledge the market.

Thus, the state and the market established a symbiotic relationship. Now, in North Korea, a state without a market cannot exist. The market is also diversifying rapidly, with new actors exploring new businesses in sectors like consumer goods, finance, and labor. Every morning, an employment market opens in front of the Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang, making it difficult to keep up with the changes. Even the high-rise apartments in Pyongyang, which Kim Jong-un boasts about, are nothing more than mirages built with money gathered from the market (actors).

Chairman Kim Jong-un’s power is still strong. However, the “unity” of the socio-political organism consisting of the leader, the party, and the people no longer exists in North Korea. Even Kim Jong-un cannot control the market at will and must be mindful of the people. The diversity within "North Korea" is expanding. For this reason, Kim Jong-un’s words and actions can no longer be referred to simply as “North Korea.” The subject “Kim Jong-un” can no longer be synonymous with “North Korea,” nor can the politics, society, and economy of North Korea be generalized under the subject of “North Korea.”

However, we are not properly observing and analyzing these changes in “North Korea.” Why is that?

The Shrinking of North Korea Research Due to Lack of Information

The core of regional studies, including North Korean studies, is field research. However, field research in North Korea is impossible. For this reason, research related to North Korea inherently carries the limitation of being difficult to verify facts. Ultimately, the best approach is to cross-check the available data, mostly primary sources from North Korea and the testimonies of North Korean defectors, and even then, keep in mind that this may not be “fact.”

However, with the closure of the North Korea-China border due to international sanctions against North Korea and the COVID-19 pandemic, even secondary methods of verification are becoming difficult. The Ministry of Unification’s North Korea Data Center has not updated its materials in a long time, and it has become challenging to meet North Korean defectors who escaped after 2020. The only source left to rely on is the so-called “North Korean informants,” which involves verifying information with the families of North Korean defectors settled in South Korea, but even this is difficult to verify. It is highly likely that even the families did not directly confirm the information.

Another problem is the stagnation of North Korea studies. The field of North Korean research has repeatedly experienced ups and downs in tandem with inter-Korean relations. Since 2019, inter-Korean relations have been on a downward trend for nearly five years, leading to not only reduced support for North Korean studies but also a thinning of the pool of North Korean researchers. Particularly, the decline in full-time researchers should be seen as a crisis for North Korean studies in South Korea.

In fact, the more strained the situation on the Korean Peninsula becomes, the more meticulous research on North Korea is needed. However, as North Korean studies shrink amid South Korean government indifference, there is a growing perspective that views North Korea as a single actor and its internal workings as a “black box.” North Korean studies need to be conducted in a balanced manner from various perspectives. In other words, in addition to the lens of international politics, the diverse internal changes in North Korea must also be studied. Above all, the shrinking of North Korean studies could result in a failure to properly read changes in North Korea.

The Generalization of Distorted Information: Let’s Acknowledge “Cannot Be Confirmed”

Amidst the lack of information and the shrinkage of North Korean studies, there is an increasing phenomenon of exaggerated news distorting information related to North Korea. It is particularly concerning that the government is leading this trend of “making mountains out of molehills.” In March 2023, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification claimed that there were mass deaths due to starvation in North Korea, but this has not been properly confirmed.

The recent news report based on a “government official” source claiming that 30 North Korean middle school students were publicly executed is also likely untrue. The Ministry of Unification, which is the main department responsible for South Korea’s North Korea policy, refused to confirm the news, which was then spread worldwide the next day by South Korea’s First Lady, Kim Keon-hee, during her visit to the United States. One must question whether she properly verified the facts before making her statement. Nevertheless, the timing of the news was indeed uncanny.

Are we truly understanding North Korea as it is, including the various actors within that space, particularly the lives of the people living there? While news about North Korea overflows daily, it feels as though we are drifting further away from the reality of “North Korea.” News that generalizes distorted information based on unverified “sources” is hindering the proper understanding of North Korea by our people.

For these reasons, a more thorough fact-checking process is needed for news based on “sources” or “officials.” When government departments or the media disclose information related to North Korea, they must clearly state how the information was obtained. Was it directly verified, heard from someone else, or if the source cannot be disclosed, how was the information obtained? Particularly, the so-called “government officials” who hide behind anonymity to influence public opinion should no longer hide and must prove the reliability of the information under their own names.

It is time to stop hiding behind “sources” and stop using “North Korea” as a blanket subject. We must not be misled by distorted news hidden behind “sources” and “officials,” nor should we become part of it. It is time to have the courage to acknowledge the limitations of information and admit when something “cannot be confirmed.”

*IL-Young Jeong is a research professor at Sogang University in Seoul. His key research interests include North Korea's social control system, inter-Korean relations, and peace on the Korean Peninsula.