DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/jis.22.2.2023.1-17

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Law on the Elimination of Reactionary Thought and Culture Under Kim Jong-Un’s Leadership

*Rista Herjani Dwijayani  -  Department of International Relations, Faculty of Postgraduate Studies,, Indonesia
Ali Maksum  -  Department of International Relations, Faculty of Postgraduate Studies,, Indonesia

Citation Format:
Abstract
This study aims to explain how Korean Wave, or Hallyu, influenced the enactment of the
Elimination of Reactionary Thoughts and Culture Laws in North Korea. To answer the ques-
tions, this research used securitization theory and a qualitative descriptive method. The re-
search combined several sources of literature, such as journals, books, the official website of the South Korean government, and several official reports from online media in East Asia. The results of the research show that the Law on the Elimination of Reactionary Thoughts and Culture, which was passed by the North Korean government, was caused by the negative assumptions made by the leader of the country about the spread of Hallyu or Korean Wave in his country. The various distributions of South Korean cultural content are viewed as a "threat" to the continuity of North Korean ideology. Meanwhile, South Korean cultural products have inevitably spread rapidly and massively in almost all parts of the world. Therefore, the North Korean government needs laws with legal force and ideological campaigns to prevent public disturbances caused by foreign cultural influences, especially those from South Korea.
Fulltext View|Download
Keywords: Law; North Korea; Korean Wave; Hallyu; South Korea.

Article Metrics:

Article Info
Section: Articles
Language : EN
Recent articles
Bibliometric Analysis of Sociological Research on Artificial Intelligence Merit System Innovation through the SIPINTER Application (Information System for Self-Assessment of Merit System Implementation) in Indonesia The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Law on the Elimination of Reactionary Thought and Culture Under Kim Jong-Un’s Leadership More recent articles
Most cited articles
Peran Indonesia Dalam Memerangi Terorisme ECONOMIC RESILIENCE PADA INDUSTRI KREATIF GUNAMENGHADAPI GLOBALISASI DALAM RANGKA KETAHANAN NASIONAL More cited articles
  1. Asia Scotland Institute. (2021). “ The Korean Wave: From PSY to BTS-The impact of K-Pop on the South Korean economy.” Asia Scotland Institute. [Online]. Retrieved from https://asiascot.com/op-eds/the-korean-wave-from-psy-to-bts-the-impact-of-k-pop-on-the-south-korean-economy (Accessed February 2023)
  2. Bicker, L. (2021). “Why Kim Jong-Un is waging war on slang, jeans and foreign films”. BBC. [Online]. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57225936 (Accessed March 2023)
  3. Buzan, B., Wæver, O., & Wilde, J. de. (1998). Security: A new framework for analysis. Lynne Rienner Publisher, Inc
  4. Chung, H. K., Yang, H. J., Shin, D., & Chung, K. R. (2016). Aesthetics of korean foods: Thesymbol of Korean culture. Journal of Ethnic Foods, 3(3), 178–188. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jef.2016.09.001),[Online]
  5. Chung, K. Y. (2018). Media as soft power: The role of the South Korean media in North Korea. The Journal of International Communication, 0(0), 1–21. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/13216597.2018.1533878),[Online]
  6. Dhawan, R. K. (2017). Korea’s cultural diplomacy: An analysis of the hallyu in India
  7. Strategic Analysis, 41(6), 559–570. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/09700161.2017.1377895),[Online]
  8. Gershman, C. (2013). A voice from the North Korean Gulag. Journal of Democracy, 24 (2), 165–173. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2013.0027),[Online]
  9. Hartley, M. (2021). The Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Law. Mick Hartley Politics and Culture. https://mickhartley.typepad.com/blog/2021/11/the-reactionary-ideology-and-culture-rejection-law.html
  10. Hudson, D. (2017). In defence of Juche Korea (1st edition). Lulu.com
  11. Invest Korea. (2016). “Investment opportunities in Korea”. KOTRA. [Online]. Re-
  12. trieved from https:// www.investkorea.org/ik-en/bbs/i-470/down.do?
  13. bbs_id=248&ntt_sn=470886&data_ty_cd=A&atfile_sn=1 (Accessed March
  15. Kang, S. W. (2020, December 21). “North Korean leader tightens control amid faltering economy”. [Online]. Retrieved from The Korea Times: https://
  16. www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/ nation/2022/11/103_301163.html
  17. Kelly, R. E. (2021). Commentary: Why K-pop threatens North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. CNA. [Online]. Retrieved from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/author/robert-e-kelly (Accessed February 2023)
  18. Kim, E. M. & Ryu, J. (2007). South Korean culture goes global: K‐pop and the korean wave.Korean Social Science Journal, 34(1), 117-142
  19. Kim, K. (2006). “The 1997-98 Korean financial crisis: Causes, policy response, and lessons “. IMF. Retrieved from https://www.imf.org/external/np/seminars/eng/2006/cpem/pdf/ kihwan.pdf (Accessed February 2023)
  20. Kim, M. (2011). The role of the government in cultural industry: Some observations from Korea’s experience. Keio Communication Review, 33, 163–182
  21. Kim, M. J., & Denyer, S. (2020). Amid lockdown binge watching, U.S. viewers savor story that puts a human face on North Korea. The Washington
  22. Post. [Online]. Retrieved from https:// www.washingtonpost.com/world/
  23. asia_pacific/south-korea-crash-landing-on-you- defectors-netflix/2020/04/17/d78c761c-7994-11ea-a311-adb1344719a9_story.html (Accessed February 2023)
  24. Kim, S. K. (2021). Change and continuity: North Korean society at a crossroads. A Journal of the East Asia Foundation, 16(3), 50-51
  25. Kwon, O. Y. (2005). A cultural analysis of South Korea’s economic prospects. Global Economic Review, 34(2), 213-231. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/12265080500117541),[Online]
  26. Laricchia, F. (2022, May). “Sales of leading consumer electronic (CE) companies worldwide in 2022.” [Online]. Retrieved from Statista: https://www.statista.com/ statistics/431431/ sales-of-the-leading-ce-companies-worldwide/ (Accessed February 2023)
  27. Lee, H. (2018). Review on the form and system of North Korean Law. International Journal of Korean Unification Studies, 27(1), 71–112
  28. Lee, J. (2017). Korean screen cultures: Interrogating cinema, TV, music and online games. Journal of Japanese and Korean Cinema, 9(1), 82–84. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/17564905.2017.1289635),[Online]
  29. Lee, M. (2020). Landscape of the minds of South and North Koreans: Unification perception, mutual recognition and the possibility of cultural integration. Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 21(3), 465-475. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/14649373.2020.1796355),[Online]
  30. Lee, S. Y. (2022, July 20). “North Korea’s dramatically increasing trade deficit with China”: A short-term trend or longer-term strategy”. [Online]. Retrieved from https:// www.38north.org/2022/07/north-koreas-dramatically-increasingtrade-deficit-with- china-a-short-term-trend-or-longer-term-strategy/ (Accessed March 2023)
  31. Lee, Z. N. (1999). Korean culture and sense of shame. Transcultural Psychiatri, 36(2), 181-194. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/136346159903600202),[Online]
  32. Li, Y. S. (1972). Juche! The speeches and writings of Kim Il Sung (Y. S. Li (ed.). Grossman Publisher
  33. Lim, J. C. (2009). Kim Jong Il's Leadership of North Korea. London and New York: Routledge
  34. Mas'oed, M., & Yoon, Y. S. (2005). Memahami Politik Korea: Kumpulan Bacaan. Gadjah Mada University Press
  35. McCurry, J. (2021, July 19). “Young North Koreans told to shun slang and cultural penetration from South”. [Online]. Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/ world/2021/jul/19/young-north-koreans-told-to-shun-slang-and-cultural-penetration- from-the-south (Accessed March 2023)
  36. McGlinchey, S., Walters, R., & Scheinpflug, C. (Eds). (2020). Exposed (Mukti, T. A, Trans). Dasar-Dasar Kajian Teori Hubungan Internasional. E-International Relations. 226
  37. Ministry of Strategy and Finance. (2014). The budget system of Korea. https:// english.moef.go.kr/images/TheBudgetSystemofKorea.pdf
  38. OICA. (2022). “Top 10 car producing countries in the world (OICA 2021)". World Population Review. [Online]. Retrieved from https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/car-production-by-country (Accessed March 2023)
  39. Parc, J. (2021). Measuring the impact of Hallyu on Korea’s economy: Setting off on the wrong foot. Korea’s Economy, 27–35. [Online]. Retrieved from https://keia.org/publication/measuring-the-im-pact-of-hallyu-on-koreas-economy-setting-off-on-the-wrong-foot/ (Accessed March 2023)
  40. Press, A. (2021, January 04). “Oppa is outlawed: Top-secret documents detail Kim Jong Un’s direct orders to eliminate S. Korean cultural influence". Retrieved from https://www.asiapress.org/rimjin-gang/2021/01/society-economy/cultural- influence/2/ (Accessed Match 2023)
  41. Roth, K. (2021). "North Korea: Events of 2021. Human Rights Watch". [Online]. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/ world-report/2022/country-chapters/north-korea (Accessed March 2023)
  42. Seo, Y. N., Leather, P., & Coyne, I. (2012). South Korean culture and history: The implications for workplace bullying. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 17(5), 419–422. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2012.05.003)[Online]
  43. Stares, P. B., & Wit, J. S. (2009). Preparing for sudden change. Council on Foreign Relation Press. [Online]. Retrieved from https://www.cfr.org/report/preparing-sudden change-north-korea (Accessed March 2023)
  44. Suh, J. J. (2013). Origins of North Korea’s Juche: Colonialism, war, and development (J.J. Suh (ed.)). Lexington Books
  45. Williams, M. (2021, November 10). “North Korea intensifies war against foreign influ-ence”. [Online]. Retrieved from https://www.38north.org/2021/11/north-korea-intensifies-war-against-foreign-influence/ (Accessed March 2023)
  46. Xinhua. (2020, December 5). “DPRK passes new laws on foreign culture, tech, telecom”. [Online]. Retrieved from Asia & Pacific: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapacific/2020-12/05/c_139565761.html (Accessed March 2023)
  47. Yoon, J. S. (2022, November 28). “Automotive industry in South Korea-statistics & facts”. [Online]. Retrieved from Statista: https://www.statista.com/topics/5249/automotive-industry-in-south-korea/#topicOverview (Accessed March 2023)
  48. Yoon, S. (2015). Forbidden audience: Media reception and social change in North Korea. Global Media and Communication, 11(2), 167–184. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1742766515588418).[Online]
  49. Yoon, Y. S., & Mas'oed, M. (2003). Masyarakat, Politik dan Pemerintahan Koreaa: Sebuah Pengantar. Yogyakarta: Gadjah Mada University Press
  50. Zur, D. (2021). "North Korean fears of South Korean culture". KEI. [Online]. Retrieved from https://keia.org/the-peninsula/north-korean-fears-of-south-korean-culture (Accessed March 2023)

Last update:

No citation recorded.

Last update: 2024-04-25 20:49:07

No citation recorded.