Introduction to North Korea Syllabus

1 of 20

Introduction to North Korea: Fact, Fiction and Propaganda

CLLC-L 120 30552 *11:15am-12:05pm * Cravens B (ME008)

Timothy S. Rich * PhD Candidate * Political Science

[email protected]

Introduction and Objectives:

From nuclear weapons to regime collapse, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), better known as North Korea, presents a grave challenge to regional and international stability. Despite this, public knowledge of the country remains limited. This class intends to provide an introduction to the history, politics, and society of North Korea, through a unique blend of scholarly work, news reports, first person accounts, North Korean propaganda, and documentaries. This should increase one’s knowledge of the history and social structures of North Korea and provide the theoretical tolls to understand and critically analyze contemporary issues regarding the country and the regime.

This class has no pre-requisites and does not expect students to have a background in political science, history, or sociology nor a background on North Korea. It does however expect students to have some interest in these areas.

Class Themes:

What are key events in the division of Korea and how does this division frame present relations?

What is the personality cult surrounding Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il?

What is Juche and how does it shape North Korean perceptions?

How does the government shape public opinion and loyalty to the state?

What is the economic model of North Korea? Was it ever successful and can it be reformed?

How does North Korea interact with its neighbors?

Why has North Korea manufactured nuclear weapons? Has the US response been effective?

How and why do people leave North Korea? What is their fate?

How do recent military skirmishes, such as the Cheonan sinking and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, fit in with general trends in inter-Korean relations? Is unification still possible?

2 of 20

Readings:

Required Books:

Mike Kim. 2008. Escaping North Korea: Defiance and Hope in the World’s Most Repressive Country. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Kongdan Oh and Ralph C. Hassig. 2000. North Korea Through the Looking Glass. Brookings Institution Press.

All other readings are available on Oncourse (under Resources/Readings), the online journals available through the IU library site, or through Google. Online journals are available through the IU library’s electronic journal system and in most cases the journals can be accessed through multiple search engines. You can access the library system at: http://www.libraries.iub.edu/index.php?pageId=1044.

While most of the readings will be on Oncourse or accessible through the internet, it is your responsibility to find and read these articles.

When reading the academic materials, it may help you to keep in mind these questions:

1) What is the main argument of the author(s)?2) What evidence do they provide?3) Is the argument convincing and why or why not?4) What did you find the most surprising in the material?

Podcasts:

Periodically podcasts will also be included under the readings. When a video link is also available, this too will be included. Podcasts should not be considered suggested listening, but crucial to seminar discussions. Since they often give a great overview of the class materials, it is strongly recommended that you start with the podcasts before going to the readings.

Suggested Ipod App:

Fotopedia North Korea by Eric Lafforgue. This *free* app has an assortment of photos of North Korea, from propaganda materials to everyday life, along with (albeit limited) links to relevant wikipedia pages and maps. More information on this can be found at: http://www.fotopedia.com/ios/north_korea

Grading Breakdown:

Thought Pieces (5): 15%Propaganda Assignment: 13%Midterm: 22%Final: 22%Final Paper: 20%Final Paper Proposal: 2%Final Paper Presentation: 3%Participation: 3%Thought pieces will account for 15% of your grade. Periodically questions will be presented on Oncourse or

3 of 20

at the end of class. Your responses should be one page double-spaced, Times New Roman (not Courier or Impact or Wingdings) with 10 or 12 point font and 1 inch margins, showing evidence of independent thought while incorporating the relevant materials. No citations are necessary. The topics will be sufficiently broad that writing a page should not be difficult. These are due the class period in which they are assigned on the syllabus. Late thought papers will be deducted 10% per day. (A day is defined as a calendar day. For example, this would mean you have 24 hours from the class period to turn in said work for a 10% deduction)

A propaganda assignment will account for 13% of your grade. As you will see in this class, propaganda campaigns are ever present in North Korean society. This assignment has two parts:

1) You will choose to analyze five North Korean propaganda posters, analyzing the purpose of the campaign (what the problem is, the source of the problem if evident, and the solution). Many examples will be in the class material, but a quick Google search should present at least a hundred examples, most of which will have an English translation.

2) You will be given a campaign goal (based in part on a recent North Korean government policy). You will choose a slogan (in English of course, but also including Korean—even Google Translate Korean —is fine) and an outline of the poster itself. I’m not expecting artful masterpieces, but an outline of what the poster would look like (as if you were giving it to an artist/propaganda bureau to finalize). As with the real examples, identify the purpose of the campaign, the cause of the problem, and the target audience.

This will be due Friday, October 7th. Details will be given in class and posted on Oncourse.A final paper will constitute 20% of your grade. This should be 6-8 pages, double-spaced, Times New

Roman (not Courier or Impact or Wingdings) with 10 or 12 point font and 1 inch margins. You can choose any topic related to North Korean issues, however this topic must be approved in advance. To assist you in this, a paper proposal worth 2% of your grade will be due Friday November 4th. This proposal will only need to be one page, but should describe your general research topic and research question as well as identifying some relevant sources. This is largely for your benefit, so that you do not wait until the last minute and so I can advise you if a research idea is not feasible.

There is great latitude here—politics, history, sociology, art, sports---but the focus is North Korea. You will be required to use ten sources for this paper, including scholarly research, news reports, and film. However the sources must be credible or, in the case of propaganda material, acknowledged as such. In other words, Wikipedia and blogs (among other sources) do not count. Greater details about the paper will be posted on Oncourse. Late papers will be deducted 10% per day.

In addition, in the 14th week of class you will give a brief presentation of your paper worth 3% of your final grade. Prepare to speak for about 5 minutes and answer possible questions from the class. The presentation should give the audience a brief overview of the key concepts and themes of your paper as well as encourage class discussion on your topic. While it is advised to have a rough draft of your paper by this point, it is not necessary. What is important is that you have a general outline of the paper that can be presented. Feedback from the presentation is intended to help you write a better paper, so take full advantage of the opportunity. Powerpoints or other presentation materials are recommended but not required. To encourage discussion (and dissuade people from simply zoning out/not attending on the days they are not presenting), your presentation grade will also be influenced by your participation in the Q&A during the other presentations.

The Midterm and Final exams will each constitute 22% of your final grade. The format will be a mix of multiple choice, fill in the blank, and short answer (with the possibility of an essay question as well). These exams are to assess your general knowledge of North Korea.

4 of 20

Finally, class participation accounts for 3% of your final grade. This course requires your participation and interaction. All students must come to class prepared to discuss the required readings. Students should participate actively in discussions, and may be called on at any time to answer questions or raise questions. Addressing questions or comments through Oncourse’s Forums options will also count as part of your class participation. Please do not be afraid to ask questions, go out on a limb, etc. I do not expect anyone to have a background on North Korea and asking questions is crucial to the learning process. Conversely, behavior which is disruptive, causes a distraction, or impedes in participation and interaction will result in a deduction of your participation credit (this includes but is not limited to reading non-class related materials, browsing the internet—Facebook and fantasy football can wait until after class—texting and making phone calls in class).

Attendance Policy:

Because participation is required, logically one must attend class. As such for every three unexcused absences, your final grade will be dropped a half letter grade (e.g. from a B to a B-). You may choose not to attend class, but as with all choices in life, there are consequences. Since this is a seminar style course, attending class is crucial for preparation of exams.

Read through the syllabus carefully to be sure that you understand the course requirements.

Grading Scale:

A: 93-100 A-: 90-92 B+: 87-89 B: 83-86

B-: 80-82 C+: 77-79 C: 73-76 C-: 70-72

D+: 67-69 D: 63-66 D-: 60-62 F: Below 60

Websites:

For a reasonably balanced source current events regarding North Korea, I strongly suggest you visit the BBC’s website coverage under “Asia-Pacific”:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

These following websites not only provide a good background on North Korea, but should be consulted regularly for North Korean news throughout the semester. While the BBC site mentioned is flashier and the most user friendly, these will give you a more well-rounded picture of North Korea.

Korean Central News Agency (English language news from the government of North Korea)http://www.kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm

Official website of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)http://www.korea-dpr.com/

Naenara (The official web portal of the DPRK)http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/

Daily NK (a conservative anti-North Korea news source based in Seoul)http://www.dailynk.com/english/

NK News-DPRK Information Centerhttp://nknews.org/

5 of 20

Network for North Korean Democracy and Human Rightshttp://nknet.org/eng/

CIA Factbook: North Korea.http://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kn.html

North Korea Economy Watchwww.nkeconwatch.com

“North Korea Uncovered (Google Earth)”, which after downloading the packet for Google Earth, you can view military and non-military sites)

http://www.nkeconwatch.com/north-korea-uncovered-google-earth/

For a general introductionThe Korean War, An Interview with Bruce Cumings, video (1) and video (2)

Deadlines:

You are expected to have completed the readings before each class period. Deadlines for all assignments are listed on your syllabus. Please have your work ready to turn in at the beginning of class the day it is due or it will be considered late. All late assignments will be docked 10% per day. If you run into a problem, please talk to me in advance and I may grant an extension at my discretion. Please bring all readings to class on the assigned day as this facilitates discussion

Academic Honesty:

All Indiana University policies regarding academic honesty will be strictly enforced. Plagiarism, cheating or academic misconduct in any manner will not be tolerated. I would encourage you to read Section 3 of IU’s Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct, which describes what constitutes academic misconduct and can be found at:

http://www.iu.edu/~code/code/responsibilities/academic/index.shtml

While most examples of misconduct are blatantly obvious (i.e., you may not pay someone to take your exams for you), knowing when and how to acknowledge and appropriately cite sources is something you must learn. For example, even if you acknowledge the source, you cannot stay too close to the language of the original source.

The Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct (2005) indicates that students may be disciplined for several different kinds of academic misconduct. These include cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, interference, and violation of course rules.

In particular the code states:

3. Plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined as presenting someone else’s work, including the work of other students, as one’s own. Any ideas or materials taken from another source for either written or oral use must be fully acknowledged, unless the information is common knowledge. What is considered “common knowledge” may differ from course to course.

a. A student must not adopt or reproduce ideas, opinions, theories, formulas, graphics, or pictures of another person without acknowledgment.

b. A student must give credit to the originality of others and acknowledge an indebtedness whenever:

1. Directly quoting another person’s actual words, whether oral or written;

2. Using another person’s ideas, opinions, or theories;

6 of 20

3. Paraphrasing the words, ideas, opinions, or theories of others, whether oral or written;

4. Borrowing facts, statistics, or illustrative material; or

5. Offering materials assembled or collected by others in the form of projects or collections without acknowledgment.

(quoted from Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, Part II, Student Responsibilities, Academic Misconduct, By action of the University Faculty Council (April 12, 2005) and the Trustees of Indiana University (June 24, 2005).)

If you have questions about what constitutes dishonesty, please do not hesitate to ask. If in doubt, try this self-test on plagiarism:

http://www.indiana.edu/~istd/

You may also find the Campus Writing Program’s information useful: www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html.

Students with Disabilities:

Students with any disability or special learning needs should contact me as soon as possible and/or Disabilities Services for Students (Franklin Hall 006; 812-855-7578) so that any necessary arrangements can be made

Weekly Readings and Assignments:

*Readings are subject to change, with sufficient warning, however the number of assignments will not be increased nor will the amount of readings be significantly increased*

7 of 20

Course Calendar

Week 1: August 29-31-September 2

Monday: Introduction

Introduction of Class

Results of pre-class survey

Wednesday: First Perceptions of North Korea

Kim, Escaping North Korea Chapter 2

North Korea: The Craziest Country in the Worldhttp://www.pixlmonster.com/hanguk/kimjong/

Friday: The Basics of the Korean War

Alice Lyman Miller and Richard Wich. 2011. Becoming Asia: Change and Continuity in Asian International Relations Since World War II. Chapter 5: The Korean War.

Korean War Maphttp://users.erols.com/mwhite28/korea.htm

“Perspectives on the War.” From Voices from the Korean War pp. 259-264.

Kim Il Sung Condensed Biography. Ch. 7 “June 1950-July 1953” -focus on pp. 166-172 and 187-188 (on the document, not the PDF pages)

DPRK Website, History Sections “Anti-Japanese Fighting” and “Motherland’s Liberation” (skim)http://www.korea-dpr.com/anti.htmhttp://www.korea-dpr.com/mother.htm

Video Clip: Korean War (38th to Pusan) (4:02)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulq2GPh7fR8&feature=related

Who Started the Korean War? 1/2 (Documentary Clip from North Korea) (8:36)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv2oR8VHlN0

Video Clip: Suspicious Minds part 2http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ7n9XaGnPc&NR=1Beginning to 3:10

Recommended:Excerpts from Voices from the Korean War Ch. 21 “North and South: A Korean Youth Serves in Both Armies.”

“Communist North Korea War Leaflets” http://www.psywarrior.com/NKoreaH.htm

Korean War Propaganda Leafletshttp://faculty.kirkwood.edu/ryost/koreanleaflets.html

8 of 20

Week 2: September 5-7-9

Monday: (No class Labor Day)

Wednesday: The Aftermath and Ramifications of the Korean War

Lifeinkorea.com “The Demilitarized Zone”. http://www.lifeinkorea.com/culture/dmz/dmz.cfm

Virtual Tour of DMZ:http://www.asian-studies.org/EAA/dmz.htm

DMZ-DPRK Tunnels. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/dprk/kpa-tunnels.htm

Remembering the DMZ Axe Murders. ROK Drop: Korea from North to South. http://rokdrop.com/2007/08/20/remembering-the-dmz-axe-murders/

North Korean Invasion Tunnel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxftBdSlW5Y&feature=related

Panmunjeom Guardshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmQkPDIGAsY&feature=related

Mitchell Lerner. “The US Pueblo Incident.” 2002. http://web.mit.edu/ssp/seminars/wed_archives02fall/lerner.htm

Ke Chung Kim and Edward O. Wilson. 2002. “The Land That War Protected” New York Times. December 10.

Recommended:North Korean Propaganda Video on the Pueblo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVCaB-qsEFU&feature=player_embedded#at=359

Video Clip: Suspicious Minds part 2http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ7n9XaGnPc&NR=18:41-9:53

Friday: The Governmental Structure of North Korea

Constitution of the DPRK

Library of Congress Country Report: North Korea. (Just the Government and Politics section)

Kim Jong Il. 1995 “The Workers’ Party of Korea is The Party of The Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung.” pp. 18-20 (start at “We must oppose…”)

Patricia Goedde. 2008. “Overview of North Korean Legal System and Legal Research.” (Section 2)http://www.nyulawglobal.org/Globalex/North_Korea.htm

Andrew Scobell. 2008. “The Korean Workers’ Party” In The Kim Jong Il Regime in North Korea. Charles W. Tarrington (ed.). pp. 14-18.

Andrew Scobell. 2008. Chart of the Party, Military, and State. In The Kim Jong Il Regime in North Korea. Charles W. Tarrington (ed.). p. 6.

9 of 20

Video Clip: “Local Elections in North Korea” (3:31)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOAk9P1KFlU


Monday: Kim Il Sung

Oh and Hassig, North Korea Through the Looking Glass. Ch. 4, pp. 81-85

Paul French. 2005. North Korea: The Paranoid Peninsula. Ch. 3: pp. 48-57.

Andrei Lankov. 2011. “Kim Il-Sung: Disastrous Founder of Communist N. Korea.” http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/08/117_92972.html.

Kim Il Sung Condensed Biography. Ch. 1 “April 1912-December 1931” - pp. 2-6 (on the document, not the PDF pages)

Video Clip: “Kim Il Sung Meets Foreign Leaders and Dignitaries” (2:05) (Notice the camera positioning) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkfpOEUMy-g&feature=related

Video Clip: “North Koreans Mourn Death of Kim Il-Sung” (1:23)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7P8mP5uuPw

Wednesday: Kim Jong Il


Byung-joon Ahn, “The Man Who Would Be Kim,” Foreign Affairs 73, no. 6 (Nov-Dec 1994): 94-99; 101-103

Paul French. 2005. North Korea: The Paranoid Peninsula. Ch. 3: pp. 57-64.

Biography of Kim Jong Il, Ch. 1 “February 1942-1964”, focus on p. 1-7.

Kayla Webley. 2011. “Kim Jong Il” (Part of “Top 10 Autocrats). Time.http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2045407_2045416_2045440,00.html

Friday: Juche

Oh and Hassig, North Korea Through the Looking Glass. Ch. 2

Global Security. “Juche.” http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/dprk/juche.htm

Excerpt of interview with Bryan Reynolds Myers. 2011. 3 Quarks Daily Website. (Available on Oncourse)

Kim Jong Il. 1997. “On Preserving the Juche Character and National Character of the Revolution and Construction.” (just the first two pages)

Video Clip BBC: State of Mind Part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb8wIToRyUY&NR=15:20-6:15

10 of 20

Recommended:Kim Jong Il. 1982. “On the Juche Idea.”

http://www1.korea-np.co.jp/pk/062nd_issue/98092410.htm


Monday: Everyday Life

Paul French. 2005. North Korea: The Paranoid Peninsula. Ch. 1 “A Normal Day in Pyongyang.”

Video Clip BBC: State of Mind Part 1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSrcLC6Zz54&NR=1beginning to 4:40

Wednesday: Education


Daily NK. 2011. “Free Education is Never Free.” http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01700&num=7849

Mark Hill. Cracked website. 2011. “The 5 Craziest Children’s Cartoons from North Korea.” http://www.cracked.com/article_19329_the-5-craziest-childrens-cartoons-from-north-korea.html

Sebastian Strangio. 2011. “North Korea’s Comic Book Propaganda.” Slate. http://www.slate.com/slideshow/arts/north-koreas-comic-book-propaganda/#slide_1

Excerpts from North of the DMZ

Excerpts from Human Remolding

Middle School Propaganda Poster

Video Clip: North Korea-A Day in the Life (part 3 of 5):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhTMt-0ANOo&NR=1from 3:50-6:05

Video Clip: North Korea-A Day in the Life (part 4 of 5):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWkKOePvDo0&NR=1from beginning to 3:05

Video Clip BBC: State of Mind Part 1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSrcLC6Zz54&NR=16:50-8:14

Friday: Propaganda Introduction

Interview with Bryan Reynolds Meyers. 2011. 2 Quarks Daily Website.http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2010/04/immersion-in-propaganda-racebased-nationalism-and-the-unfigureoutable-vortex-of-juche-thought-colin-.html(just focus on the questions regarding propaganda)*This is also available as a podcast on the site*

11 of 20

Jane Portal. 2005. Art Under Control in North Korea. Ch. 1 (p. 1-17, 20-30) and Ch. 5 (105-111, 118-123).

Recommended:BBC: North Korean Art Causes Stir in Vienna

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/world/europe/10134478.stm

International Business Times. 2011. “North Korea’s happiness index rank: China top, US bottom.” http://hken.ibtimes.com/articles/153551/20110528/north-korea-happiness-index-rank-china-top-us-bottom-photos.htm


Monday: Propaganda Trends Over Time

Andrei Lankov. 2011. “Pyongyang Takes Literary Potshots at Moscow.” Asia Times. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/MG21Dg01.html

Tatiana Gabroussenko. 2011. “From Developmental to Conservationist Criticism: The New Narrative of South Korea in North Korean Propaganda.” Journal of Korean Studies 16(1): 27-62.

-focus on pages 35-37, the bottom of 39-47, and the conclusion

Wednesday: Politicized Art—North Korea’s Propaganda Posters

David Heather and Koen de Cuester. 2008. North Korean Posters. Ch. 1 (“Banners, Bayonets, and Basketball”) and selected posters

Excerpts from Three Days in the Hermit Kingdom p. 33, 129.

Friday: Social Control

Kim Escaping North Korea Chapter One (The North Korean Mind)

Oh and Hassig, North Korea Through the Looking Glass. Ch. 6, pp. 133-140; 142-143

Chosun Ilbo. 2011. “Kim Jong-il Pulls Costume Drama Off Air After Dismal Ratings.” http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/06/27/2011062701201.html

BBC News. 2010. “North Korea Bends It Like Beckham in UK Film First.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12095775

Week 6: October 3-5-7

Monday: Prisoners and Repression

Kim, Escaping North Korea Ch. 6

Excerpts from Are They Telling Us the Truth: Brutality Beyond Belief

Video Clip of Execution from the LFNKR

12 of 20

Recommended:Stephen Haggard and Marcus Nolan. 2009. “Economic Crime and Punishment in North Korea.” East Asia Institute Working Paper.

Wednesday: Tackling Human Rights in North Korea

John Feffer and Emily Schwartz Greco. 2008. “Engaging Pyongyang on Human Rights.” Foreign Policy in Focus.

http://www.fpif.org/articles/engaging_pyongyang_on_human_rights

Katherine H.S.Moon. 2007. “On North Korea, Hippocrates Not Hypocrisy.” Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/10/AR2007071001494_pf.html

Katherine H.S. Moon. 2008. “Beyond Demonization: A New Strategy for Human Rights in North Korea.” Current History 263-268.

Friday: The Basics of the Socialist Economy


Recommended:Library of Congress Country Report: North Korea. (Just the Economy section)

*Propaganda Assignment Due*


Monday: Economic Decline in North Korea

Kim. Escaping North Korea Chapter 2 (Inside the Hermit Kingdom)

Young-Sun Lee. 1998. “The Kim Jong Il Regime and Economic Reform: Myth and Reality.” In Understanding Regime Dynamics in North Korea: Contending Perspectives and Comparative Implications. Chung-in Moon (ed.). Yonsei University Press. pp. 175-188.

Andrei Lankov. 2011. Comparison of NK and USSR (Korea Times). http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2011/06/137_89209.html

North Korean Import/Export Data 1994-2007

Stephan Haggard. 2011. “US-North Korean Trade: Soooo Little.” Petersen Institute for International Economics. http://www.piie.com/blogs/nk/?p=1165

Korea Economic Institute. “North Korea’s Economy: Economic Data”

Video Clip: North Korea-A Day in the Life (part 2 of 5):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYXtS2Av5gw&NR=1from beginning to 1:40, then 4:40-8:30

13 of 20

Wednesday: Catch Up and Review

Friday: Midterm


Monday: Economic Reforms


Young-Sun Lee. 1998. “The Kim Jong Il Regime and Economic Reform: Myth and Reality.” In Understanding Regime Dynamics in North Korea: Contending Perspectives and Comparative Implications. Chung-in Moon (ed.). Yonsei University Press. pp. 188-193.

Andrei Lankov. 2011. “The North Korean Economy: Between Myth and Facts.” EastAsiaForum.http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2011/02/08/the-north-korean-economy-between-myths-and-facts/

John Everard. 2011. “The Markets of Pyongyang.” KEI Academic Paper Series. Vol. 6 No. 1.http://www.keia.org/Communications/Programs/Everard/Everard.pdf

Andrei Lankov. 2011. “North Korea-China special economic zones” East Asia Forum. http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2011/07/14/north-korea-china-special-economic-zones/Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in North Korea

Recommended:“North Korea Devalues Currency.”

http://blogs.reuters.com/rolfe-winkler/2009/12/03/north-korea-devalues-currency/

Ruediger Frank. “Currency Reform in North Korea”. East Asia Forum. July 8, 2010.http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2010/07/08/collapse-or-reform-north-korean-approaches-to-the-economy-and-leadership-succession/

Abraham Kim. “Pyongyang has an App for That: Sanctions and Luxury Goods in North Korea” KEI Publications. Matthew McGrath. 2011. “The Role of Mobile Phones in Expanding Informal Markets”. NK News.

http://nknews.org/2011/07/the-role-of-mobile-phones-in-expanding-informal-markets/

North Korean Economy Watch. 2011. “On the DPRK’s Informal Credit Markets…”http://www.nkeconwatch.com/2011/05/16/on-the-dprks-informal-credit-markets/

Wednesday: The Black Market in North Korea

Podcast: Planet Money Podcast # 290: North Korea’s Illegal Economy

Benjamin K. Sovacool 2009. “North Korea and Illegal Narctoics: Smoke But Not Fire?” Asia Policy 7http://www.caglkyschool.com/pdf/Sovacool-NK.pdf

John McGlynn, “Financial Sanctions and North Korea: In Search of the Evidence of Currency Counterfeiting and Money Laundering Part II,” Japan Focus (2007).

http://www.japanfocus.org/-John-McGlynn/2463

Donga Ilbo. 2011. “NK’s massive drug trafficking angers China: source”http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2011070521408

14 of 20

Marcus Noland. 2011. “Drugs” Petersen Institute for International Economics. http://www.piie.com/blogs/nk/?p=2080

Chosun Ilbo. 2011. “40% of Missiles in Developing World Came from N.Korea.” http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/07/22/2011072200885.html

Friday: Arduous March


Paul French. 2005. North Korea: The Paranoid Peninsula. “The Worst of Times: Food, Famine, and the Arduous March”.

Video Clip: The North Korean Famine-Why Did It Happen?” (4:58)(Interview with Bruce Cumings, the first three minutes in particular)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhb5Ccc3TcI&feature=relmfu

Video Clip: Suspicious Minds part 2http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ7n9XaGnPc&NR=18:41-9:53

Video Clip BBC: State of Mind Part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb8wIToRyUY&NR=1beginning to 2:57


Monday: Food Aid to North Korea

Erich Weingartner. 2011. “My First Monitoring Trip.” 38 North.http://38north.org/2011/06/weingartner062411/

Reuters. 2011. “Q+A - How serious is North Korea’s food shortage?” http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/07/04/idINIndia-58071420110704

Marcus Noland. 2011. “Food Aid: RIP?” Petersen Institute for International Economics. http://www.piie.com/blogs/nk/?p=1940

Chosun Ilbo. 2011. “N.Korea Accused of Doctoring Flood Photo.” http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/07/19/2011071900523.html

Chosun Ilbo. 2011. “78% of N.Korean Defectors Never Saw Foreign Food Aid.” http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/04/06/2011040600985.html

RecommendedNorth Korea Fast Food (0:36):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4v0NU8QREU&NR=1

15 of 20

Wednesday: Tourism in North Korea

Scott Fisher. 2006. Axis of Evil World Tour: An American’s Travels in Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. (all 11 parts on North Korea)

http://axisofevilworldtour.com/nk-trip1.htm

Three Days in the Hermit Kingdom p. 38-39.

Vice Guide to North Korea Part 3 (3:40):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VffFXAItQQ&feature=related

Skim the website of Koryo Tours http://www.koryogroup.com/

Trailer for Friends of Kim 2006http://www.micromovies.nl/?p=films&film=3

Recommended:Documentary: Friends of Kim 2006 (about the pro North Korea group, the Korean Friendship Association)

Friday: The Mass Games and Other Spectacles

Jonathan Watts. 2005. “Welcome to the Strangest Show on Earth.” The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/01/northkorea

N. Rain Noe. 2006. “North Korean Mass Games” Theme Magazine. http://www.thememagazine.com/stories/mass-games/

Three Days in the Hermit Kingdom p. 72-75.

Video Clip: “2011 Opening Ceremony Arirang Festival Mass Games, North Korea” (10:33)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS3kXo_ZlH0

Recommended:Steve Gong’s photography of the Arirang Festival.

http://www.stevegongphoto.com/Stories/Arirang-Festival-North-Korea/6525245_uhgwf#414809112_wxAZQ

Week 10: October 31-November 2-November 4

Monday: The North Korean Military

Oh and Hassig, North Korea Through the Looking Glass. Ch. 5

Jae-Jung Suh. 2004. “Assessing the Military Balance in Korea.” Asian Perspective 28(4): 63-88 (focus on 63-76, 84-88)

Wednesday: North Korea’s Nuclear Program

Atomic Archive. http://www.atomicarchive.com/Reports/Northkorea/index.shtml-Focus on the Timeline of Events

16 of 20

Andrew Coe, “North Korea’s New Cash Crop,” Washington Quarterly (Summer 2005) http://www.twq.com/05summer/docs/05summer_coe.pdf

Paul French. 2007. North Korea: The Paranoid Peninsula-A Modern History. Ch. 9 “Nuclear Ambitions Revealed: Bluster, Brinkmanship or Battle?”

Dingli Shen. 2008. “Can Sanctions Stop Proliferation?” Washington Quarterly 31(3): 89-100.

Video: Global Pulse: North Korea –Where the Truth Lies (4/09/2009) (regarding missile launch) (4:30)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk8A4RUg4x8&feature=related

Video: Global Pulse: North Korea –Nuclear Tantrums (6/5/09) (5:07)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fpdu4hLo8c&feature=relmfu

Video: “Super Kim” video (2:03)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L6Q7_Ts8AA&feature=related

Recommended:Washington Post. 2011. “Pakistan’s nuclear-bomb maker says North Korea paid bribes for know-how”.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/pakistans-nuclear-bomb-maker-says-north-korea-paid-bribes-for-know-how/2010/11/12/gIQAZ1kH1H_print.html

Korea Times. 2011. “US military secretly stored nuclear arms in Korea” http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/06/113_88144.html

Friday: US-North Korea Nuclear Talks

The 1994 Agreed Framework between the United States of America and the Democratic People’s Republic of Koreahttp://www.kedo.org/pdfs/AgreedFramework.pdf

Chosun Ilbo. 2011. “Top Strategist Says N.Korea Will Be Able to Nuke U.S. in 2012.” http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/06/17/2011061700800.html

Selig S. Harrison. 2005. “Did North Korea Cheat?” Foreign Affairs Magazine.http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/60431/selig-s-harrison/did-north-korea-cheat

Joel Wit and Jenny Town. 2011. “Stopping the Nuclear North.” Foreign Policy. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/07/26/nuclear_north

Mike Chinory. 2011. “Six Party Talks: The Least Bad Alternative.” 38 North. http://38north.org/2011/02/six-party-talks/

Jayshree Bajoria. 2009. “The Six-Party Talks on North Korea’s Nuclear Program.” Council on Foreign Relations.http://www.cfr.org/proliferation/six-party-talks-north-koreas-nuclear-program/p13593

*Paper Proposal is Due*

Week 11: November 7-9-11

Monday: Inter-Korean Relations

“Timeline for Major Events in Inter-Korean Relations” (see Oncourse)

“Days of Clouds and Sunshine: The Search for Peace in Inter-Korean Relations.” (see on Oncourse)

17 of 20

Federation of American Scientists. 1999. “Sunshine Policy in a Nutshell.” http://www.fas.org/news/skorea/1999/reunification22.html

BBC. 2008. “Sunset for Korean Sunshine Policy?” http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7317086.stm

Chosun Ilbo. 2010. “How Sunshine Policy Fueled N. Korea’s Nuclear Development.” http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/12/11/2010121100268.html

James E. Hoare. 2010. “Why the Sunshine Policy Made Sense.” 38 North website. http://38north.org/2010/03/why-the-sunshine-policy-made-sense/

Video Clip: Global Pulse: North Korea Flip Flops (2/05/2009) (4:48)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo_hkn7nLTk&feature=relmfu

Recommended:“Important Inter-Korean Agreements” (see Oncourse)

Chae Kyung-suk. 2002. “The Future of the Sunshine Policy: Strategies for Survival.” East Asian Review 14(4): 3-17.

Documentary: Decades Apart (23:40)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuB8ZMayQTA

Wednesday: China-North Korea Relations

Podcast: China Talking Points. 2010. “CTP Podcast – China’s Influence on North Korea.” http://www.chinatalkingpoints.com/ctp-podcast-chinas-influence-on-north-korea/

Ting Wai. 2008. “The Dilemmas of China’s Policies Facing the North Korean Crisis.” In Economic, Political and Social Issues. Edited by P.H. Elwood and J.B. Albertus. pp 189-201.

Jayshree Bajoria. 2009. “The China-North Korea Relationship.” Council on Foreign Relations website. July 21. http://www.cfr.org/publication/11097/chinanorth_korea_relationship.html

Recommended:Dick K. Nanto, Mark E. Manyin, and Kerry Dumbaugh. 2010. “China-North Korea Relations.” Congressional Research Service.

Friday: Refugees: Leaving North Korea


Video Clip: Defectors throw light on harsh realities of life in North Korea (13:06)http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/8720870.stm


Monday: Defecting to North Korea

Penny Spiller. 2007. “Last US Defector in North Korea.” BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6267645.stm

18 of 20

“Deserter Jenkins Writes Memoir.” 2005. BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4334828.stm

Gabriel Schoenfeld. 2008. “To Hell and Back” (Review of The Reluctant Communist). Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120537252745332373.html

Morris-Suzuki, Tessa. 2007. “The Forgotten Victims of the North Korean Crisis.” Nautilus Institute. http://web.archive.org/web/20090124172644/http://www.nautilus.org/fora/security/07022MorrisSuzuki.html

John M. Handley. “Hell on Earth: Life in Kim Il Sung’s Gulag.” (Review of Aquariums of Pyongyang). American Diplomacy website.

http://www.unc.edu/depts/diplomat/archives_roll/2002_10-12/book_handley/book_handley.html

Video Clip: 60 Minutes. “An American in North Korea.” (7:21)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZtkHUkZ8Rg&NR=1

Recommended:Charles Robert Jenkins. 2009. The Reluctant Communist: My Desertion, Court-Martial, and Forty-Year Imprisonment in North Korea. University of California Press.

Kang Chol-Hwan and Pierre Rigoulot. 2001. Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag. New York: Basic Books.

Documentary: Crossing the Line (2006)

Wednesday: After Leaving: The Sex Industry


Donna M. Hughes. “How Can I Be Sold Like This?” National Review Online July 19, 2005.http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/214969/how-can-i-be-sold/donna-m-hughes

Friday: After Leaving: Life in a Democracy

Yoon In-Joon. 2001. “North Korean Diaspora: North Korean Defectors Abroad and in South Korea.” Development and Society 30(1): 1-26. (Just skim the Data and Methods section)

Andrei Lankov. 2011. “Remittances From North Korean Defectors.” East Asia Forum. http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2011/04/21/remittances-from-north-korean-defectors/

Julian Borger. 2011. “North Korean defector learns to live outside the world’s biggest prison.” Guardian UK. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/30/north-korean-defector-worlds-biggest-prison

BBC News: Identity Win for N Korea Refugeeshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7842967.stm

19 of 20


Monday: Contemporary Events: The Cheonan Sinking and Yeonpyeong Island Shelling

Podcast/Video Link: “Korea Family Feud”. Global Pulse. http://www.linktv.org/video/5493/korea-family-feud(click options near the video screen to download as a podcast)

Andy Jackson. 2010. “The Cheonan Sinking: The Errant Mine Theory.” Asian Correspondent. September 20.http://asiancorrespondent.com/flying-yangban/the-cheonan-sinking-the-errant-mine-theory

BBC. “North Korean Artillery Hits South Korean Island.” 2010.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11818005

Robert E. Kelley. Asian Security Blog. Yeonpyeong Shelling Summation.http://asiansecurityblog.wordpress.com/2010/12/13/yeonpyeong-shelling-summation-1-context-and-causes-in-hindsight/

John DeLury and Chung-in Moon. 2011. “North Korean Quagmire a Failure of Analysis.” East Asia Forum. http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2011/04/13/north-korean-quagmire-a-failure-of-analysis/

Video Clip: “New: North Korea Attack South - Yeonpyeong Island Shelled By North Korea” (1:16)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8WpoCMX60Q

Video Clip: “CNN: Assessing damage on the Korean Peninsula” (4:30)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37moWf7MpiI

Recommended:“The PSPD’s Stance on the Naval Vessel Cheonan Sinking” June 1, 2010.

*No class Wednesday or Friday*

Week 14: November 28-30-December 2

Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Presentation Days

Week 15: December 5-7-9

Monday: Kim Jong Un

Han S. Park. 2009. “Succession in North Korea.” Global Asia. http://www.globalasia.org/Current_Issues/V4N2_2009/Han_S_Park.html

Ruediger Frank. 2010. “Power Restructuring in North Korea: Annointing Kim Jong Il’s Successor.” Asia Pacific Journal-Japan Focus.

http://japanfocus.org/-Ruediger-Frank/3429

Mark McDonald. 2011. “Questions About Kim Jong Un’s Rise in North Korea.” New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/08/world/asia/08kim.html?pagewanted=all

20 of 20

“Kim Jong-Un Privately Doubting He’s Crazy Enough to Run North Korea.” 2010. The Onion. http://www.theonion.com/articles/kim-jongun-privately-doubting-hes-crazy-enough-to,18374/

Wednesday: The Future of North Korea

Kim. Escaping North Korea. Chapter 12 (The Future of North Korea)

Oh and Hassig, North Korea Through the Looking Glass. Ch.8, pp. 185-192.

Daily NK: Unification Tax Sure to Annoy North Koreahttp://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00400&num=6701

Robert Kelly. 2011. “Comparing North Korea to East Germany.” East Asia Forum. http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2011/04/09/comparing-north-korea-to-east-germany/

Andrei Lankov. “Unification-It Will Be Hard, It Will Be Good, and It Will Happen.” http://english.kookmin.ac.kr/site/campus_life/new_hot/press.htm?mode=view&num=8&page=&pPart=&pKeyword=&pGroup=

Walter C. Clemens, Jr. 2009. “Alternative Futures for North Korea.” Global Asia. http://www.globalasia.org/Current_Issues/V4N2_2009/Clemens_Jr.html?PHPSESSID=4a6a7479373a86bc6067ff9d96ac5568

Andrei Lankov. 2011. “Pondering Change in North Korea.” Daily NK. http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01100&num=8034

Stephen Haggard. 2011. “Political Change in the North.” Petersen Institute for international Economics. http://www.piie.com/blogs/nk/?p=2351

Friday: Wrap up and Review

Monday: December 12

Final Exam 10:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Final Paper Due at the start of the exam

Documents

Introduction to North Korea Syllabus