Distance from the Ideology: Efforts by North Korean Diplomats to Construct the Rationality in DPRK Policies
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- North Korea is often considered to be a monolithic society with an omnipotent leader. State party and state ideology are described to possess dominant power over the society and the policies. While acknowledging the importance of the party and the ideology for the North Korean policies, this study argues that there are different interests within the state that might diverge from the party and the ideology. Particularly, North Korean diplomats in the missions abroad endeavor to present their government policies in the most “rational” way possible: namely, more in line with the international laws and norms, in order to accomplish their goals more effectively. To demonstrate these different interests, this study analyzes the difference of narratives within the North Korean government under the Kim Jong Un leadership. The analysis especially focuses on statements at the United Nations of the North Korean delegation from the UN mission in New York, in comparison with the articles and commentaries of Rodong Sinmun, owned by the party. With the analysis, this study finds that North Korean diplomats in UN meetings present their policies more in conformity with the international laws and norms. In the process, the narratives often keep distance from the state ideology, implying the possibility of more practical negotiation with North Korea. In conclusion, this study contends that concept of bureaucracy is applicable in the North Korean government, suggesting the necessity to utilize these bureaucrats including the diplomats more effectively, addressing the North Korean problems.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Date created | June 2019 |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Jung, Eunhye |
|---|---|
| Degree granting institution | Stanford University, Stanford Global Studies, Center for East Asian Studies |
| Advisor | Abrahamian, Andray |
Subjects
| Subject | North Korea |
|---|---|
| Subject | Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) |
| Subject | United Nations |
| Subject | diplomacy |
| Subject | bureaucracy |
| Subject | Juche Ideology |
| Genre | Thesis |
Bibliographic information
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- User agrees that, where applicable, content will not be used to identify or to otherwise infringe the privacy or confidentiality rights of individuals. Content distributed via the Stanford Digital Repository may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor.
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
Preferred citation
- Preferred Citation
- Eunhye Jung. (2019). Distance from the Ideology: Efforts by North Korean Diplomats to Construct the Rationality in DPRK Policies. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at: https://purl.stanford.edu/tj007yk8109
Collection
Stanford Center for East Asian Studies Thesis Collection
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- Contact
- ehjung2403@gmail.com
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