Written by David Starr   

It has been said ad infinitum: the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is a devastated, brutal, repressive, totalitarian, evil, insane, abusive, bizarre, cultish entity ready to wreak havoc at a moment's notice. Negative factors certainly exist, but is that all? Either way, the DPRK is in need of reform.

At one time, from the late 1940s up to the late 1960s, North Korea was a success when compared with the Republic of Korea (ROK), the latter of which was an underdeveloped "backwater." It took U.S. aid to finally get the ROK onto a path to success. (But the DPRK did receive aid as well from China and the Soviet Union.)

The DPRK's socialist objectives were fulfilled up to some point. Nationalization of key industries and land reform resulted in two successive five-year plans in 1947 and 1948 respectively, as well as a two-year plan in 1949 - 1950. The economy consisted of state enterprises and workers cooperatives.

This reconstruction period was a near-miracle recovery from the ravages of the Korean War where, e.g., U.S. planes dropped 386,037 tons of bombs and 32, 357 tons of napalm. [1] The overall death toll for the war was 3 to 4 million Korean dead, one million Chinese and 54,000 Americans. [2]

The DPRK's economy continued to grow until the late 1960s when stagnation set in. From that point, the DPRK further received a steady stream of aid, whether it was Chinese and/or Soviet, having to play the two off each other during the Sino-Soviet split.

Providing health care and education were successful endeavors, although propaganda did exaggerate the degree of success. [3]

Linking all these successes together was the cult of Kim Il-sung. Portrayed as a virtual demi-god, Kim did not allow any rivals. Stalinist purges took place within the Korean Workers Party, in both the north and south. The Korean Communist Party also had members who were purged. [4]

Besides stagnation, what hit North Korea really hard was the dissolving of the Soviet Union, and thus a loss of crucial aid and imports in the early 1990s. (China still gives aid and exports goods to the DPRK, but in smaller amounts now.) That, economic policies, political zealotry and natural disasters, including floods, resulted in a major famine lasting from 1994 to 1998, where hundreds of thousands died. [5]

With emphasis on self-sufficiency (or "Juche," which was put into the DPRK Constitution in 1972), there was limited success in providing for the masses mainly through a Public Distribution System. But, self-sufficiency has its limits. Every country needs a sufficient amount of foreign trade. While the DPRK traded with other Communist Bloc countries, it wasn't enough; or Juche was applied too much.

As the international situation changed starting in the early 1990s, North Korea, with its particular situation, suffered a kind of ideological shock, and couldn't function like the DPRK of the 1940s and 1950s. It began to establish zones of economic trade to enhance foreign investment as a part of recovering from economic disaster. And in 2013, agriculture has nearly returned to levels where self-sufficiency can be practiced, although average or poor food consumption is still a problem. [6]

A nongovernmental organization called Mission East is a contributor to food aid and constructing homes in the DPRK. Kim Hartzner, Managing Director of the Danish NGO of Mission East, visited North Korea in 2013 and concluded that local authorities are open and sincere in wanting to combat poverty. [7]

In April 2013, new measures have been conceived where managers of farms and factories can set salaries and offer raises and bonuses for work performance. [8]

But, a major factor is how government is run in regards to the continuing cult of personality. The new leader, Kim Jong-un, inherited the reins of power from his father Kim Jong-Il, who inherited it from his father Kim Il-sung, akin to a ruling family dynasty. There is a practice called Songbun, where caste-like divisions have permeated the society. [9]

And according to Amnesty International, the health care system has suffered setbacks.

Certainly, the kind of reform needed is not that of shock therapy economics, as what happened in Russia where former president Boris Yeltsin put Yegor Gaidar in charge of the economical handi-work. The Harvard School or Chicago School of economics would make the DPRK into a vassal state, where improvements would be inevitably illusory.

Reform of the DPRK must be based on its own interests, which include of course that of its own people. But also in coping with the current international situation. The cult of personality must give way to a government that responsibly governs, and no longer uses a failed Stalinist model. Economic and political power should not be held entirely by the state, but spread across society in an equitable and reasonable fashion. And unification with South Korea must be based not on imperial directives from a foreign power, but on mutual understanding between the two Korean governments.

Yes, reform is necessary. But not the reform characterizing a market satellite.

David Starr writes on various social and political issues, both national and international.

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Sources:

[1] Kuznik and Stone. The Untold History of the United States, 2012, pg. 245.

[2] Stokesbury, James. A Short History of the Korean War, 1998, pg. 254.

[3] Lankov, Andrei. The Real North Korea. pg. 164.

[4] ibid. pgs. 13 -15, 52.

[5] Congressional Research Service. Foreign Assistance to North Korea.

[6] Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Food Program. Crop and Food Security Assessment to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

[7] Mission East. Press Release : Open Dialogue With North Korean Authorities.

[8] The World Post/Huff Post. "North Korean Capitalism? Farmers Planting With Bonuses in Mind," 05/31/2013.

[9] CounterPunch. Luepp, Gary. "The Mindset of North Korean Elites," 04/16/2013.