Religion and Politics in North KoreaSee also South Korea. 1. Brief Introduction 1. Brief Introduction to Religion and Politics in North Korea North Korea has a population of over 22.7 million, with a .39% population growth rate (July 2010 est). The CIA Factbook comments that the country has been “traditionally Buddhist and Confucian, with some Christians and Chondogyo.” It also notes the lack of religious freedom. Like China which has greatly influenced Korean social forms, the neo-Confucian Korean state witnessed tension between Mandarin elites and peasant sectarians, with both elites and peasants combining religious and political legitimacy. Christianity came to the peninsula through lay contacts with China and the West. Japanese colonization (1910-45) destroyed the Confucian fabric of Korean society without substituting anything in its place. Marxist Communist ideology took over the North after World War II. Although the Soviet-backed Kim Il Sung attended Christian church throughout his teens, he completely decimated religion after he came to power. Since the end of World War II, North (the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea [DPRK]) and South Korea have served as the globe’s most stark comparison of political-religious systems. The North became the Marxist family dictatorship of Kim Il Sung and his son, Kim Jong Il, who succeeded him after his death. Originally in the Soviet sphere of influence, the DPRK gradually became more isolated and an independent “hermit kingdom.” It fostered a major military establishment and nuclear weapons program. This tension came to a head in 1994, when U.S. pressure forced the North to sign an agreement not to develop bombs from its plutonium reactors. The country did, however, develop a secret uranium enrichment program. China sponsored the six-party talks that improved relations after North Korea's public threats on nuclear tests. A breakthrough finally occurred in February 2007, and North Korea was removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism in June 2008. However, the North continues to try to improve its diplomatic position by at times threatening to develop long-range strategic weapons. Domestic political and economic relations between the North and the South improved following the visit of South Korea's president, Kim Dae Jung, to Pyongyang in June 2000. Korean bilateral trade and tourism has increased, with South Korea manufacturing goods in the Kaesong trade zone located in North Korea. Domestic relations between Seoul and Pyongyang, however, have waxed and waned. For example, a North Korean delegation came to Seoul in August 2009 to honor Kim Dae Jung's passing and improve relations. See entry on South Korea for present situation. Hanson (2006) discusses “The Korean Peninsula: North-South Competition in the EMC Systems” (pp. 182-88); and “The Future of East Asia in the EMC Systems,” (pp. 188-97). 2. A Short Introductory Course to Religion and Politics in North Korea Nicholas Kristof (New York Review of Books, February 10, 2005) called Bradley “simply the best book ever written about North Korea.” Cha and Kang debate the North Korean weapons crisis, with the Georgetown professor Cha, now with the Bush Administration, taking the more pessimistic and harder position. Martin, Bradley K., Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader: North Korea and the Kim Dynasty (New York: Thomas Dunne/St. Martin’s, 2004). Cha, Victor D., and Kang, David C. Nuclear North Korea: A Debate on Engagement Strategies (New York: Columbia University Press, 2003). 3. Other Key Resource Materials for Religion and Politics in North Korea See January-February Asian Survey for annual summaries of DPRK politics. Hanson, Eric O. Catholic Politics in China and Korea (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1980). Kang Choi-hwan and Rigoulot, Pierre, The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in a North Korean Gulag, trans. from French by Yair Reiner (New York: Basic Books, 2001). Kim, Nyung. “The Politics of Religion in South Korea, 1974-89: The Catholic Church’s Political Opposition to the Authoritarian State.” (Ph.D. dissertation: University of Washington, 1993). Kim, Whanyung. “Political Economy of Development and Religions in Korea.” (Ph.D. dissertation: Stanford University, 1996). 4. Recent Articles on North Korea “2 Koreas Forge Economic Ties To Ease Tensions on Their Own,” New York Times, February 8, 2005. First products from Kaesong Economic Zone in North Korea made by a South Korean company sold in Seoul. “How Electronics Are Penetrating North Korea,” New York Times, March 15, 2005. Cell phones along the Chinese boarder and videos of South Korean soap operas. Private markets and breakdown of travel restrictions to Korean areas of China. “Priests in Pyongyang for anniversary,” Asia Focus, July 8, 2005. Five priests and one nun were among the 295 nongovernmental representatives that took part in June 14-17 events to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the historic North-South Summit. Father John Kim Jong-su was co-chairperson of the preparation committee. Kim Jong Il met with South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young. “U.S.-Korean Deal On Arms Leaves Key Points Open,” New York Times, September 20, 2005. Good snapshot on issues in negotiations. "Rebuilding a Temple, Narrowing a Gap," New York Times, October 2, 2005. South Korean Buddhists allowed to rebuild Holy Valley Temple in Mount Kumgang tourist zone. Luckily, Kim Il Sung visited the temple in 1947, which provides political cover for the current project, but no North Koreans are allowed to visit. “Reaching Over Korea’s Divide, A Helping Hand Holds a Bible,” New York Times, December 19, 2005. Relationship of Korean missionary movement, the second largest in the world, and political defectors. “Campaigning for Human Rights and Fishing for Souls,” New York Times, February 24, 2006. The politics of human rights and the churches in South Korea and the United States. “North, South Korean Catholics commemorate historic summit,” Asia Focus, June 23, 2006. Paul Kang Ji-young, vice chairperson of the Central Committee of the (North) Korean Roman Catholic Association (KRCA), visited Kwangju, South Korea for June 14-17, Grand Festival for National Reunification, sixth commemoration of North-South summit. “Nuclear test announcement alarms Christians, Buddhists,” (October 13, 2006), and “Korean bishops call for more dialogue (October 20, 2006), Asia Focus. South Korean religious leaders respond to October 9 announcement of nuclear test by North Korea. "Tension, Desperation: The China-North Korea Border," New York Times, October 22, 2006. Full-page map and coverage of tense border and political issues. "Outside Pressures Snapped Korean Deadlock," New York Times, February 14, 2007. Analysis of pressures for a breakthrough in Six Party talks, emphasizing Chinese participation. Positive and negative comments. "North and South Send Trains Across the Korean Frontier," New York Times, May 18, 2007. First time in 56 years. "North Koreans In Nuclear Pact," New York Times, October 4, 2007. North Korea agrees to second step in the February 2007 six-party pact, disabling its nuclear facilities by the end of the year in return for 950,000 tons of fuel oil or its equivalent in economic aid. Bush Administration hails and conservatives, e.g., John Bolton, critique. "Korean Summit Meeting Paves Way for Joint Projects," New York Times, October 5, 2007. First summit between leaders of North and South since 2000 focuses on joint economic projects. South Korea hopes to lessen economic divide with North before unification. "Religious leaders welcome limited results of North-South summit," Asia Focus, October 12, 2007. Catholic and Buddhist support for summit, even if it did not directly improve human rights in the North, especially "concrete ways of exchange and cooperation among religions." (Bishop Lucas Kim Un-hoe, president of the Catholic Bishops' Comminttee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People). South Korean President Roh Myo-hyun was accompanied by one representative each from Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant, and Won Buddhist religions. Bishop John Chang Yik of Chunchon represented the Catholic Church. "Bush Rebuffs Hard-Liners To Ease North Korean Curbs," and News Analysis: "A Diplomatic Success That Defies the Critics," New York Times, June 27, 2008. Debate within U.S. Administration over whether to take North Korea off the list of state sponsors of terrorism in response to Korean reporting on its nuclear program and blowing up the cooling tower. In second term Bush adjusts policy on many issues. July 29, 2010. |
|
|
