And the Show Goes On: How the State Survived Marketization
In post-famine North Korea, the spread of markets has created a dilemma for the state. While markets are sources of revenue, they also threaten to state’s survival. How has the state responded? In the third installment in a series of reviews, Peter Ward looks at Yang Mun-su’s work on the state’s response to marketization.
Yongusil 43: Baekdu and the Re-materialization of Korean Mountains at the Royal Geographical Society
Due in large part to the florid narratives of North Korean state power, Mt. Baekdu is often an object or passive presence in discussion; however, it is rarely subjected to assessment in its own right. One panel at the ongoing Royal Geographical Society annual international conference attempted to change that.
Hagiography of the Kims and the Childhood of Saints: Kim Jong-il
Christopher Richardson examines the mythological narrative of Kim Jong-il’s genesis, uncovering the carefully constructed combination of religion, half-truths, and state propaganda.
Saenuri Party Triumphant: #Shigak no. 10
The latest Shigak recaps the crucial July 30 by-elections and discusses what the Saenuri Party’s electoral victory means for South Korean politics going forward. Additional stories covered include: Korea’s rising immigrant population, issues of national identity, and the fate of private high schools, among others.
“Victory Day,” the Canonization of Kim Jong-il, and North Korean Succession Politics
Why did the North Korean commemorations of the July 27, 1953 Armistice dwell so heavily on Kim Jong-il, who was just a child during the Korean War? Adam Cathcart investigates how shifting histories in Pyongyang are laying the groundwork for ongoing succession narratives for the present leader.
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