University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016 University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 2015 Gendered rhetoric in North Korea’s international relations (1946–2011) Amanda Kelly Anderson University of Wollongong Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses University of Wollongong Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorise you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this work may be reproduced by any process, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised, without the permission of the author. Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. 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For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] Gendered Rhetoric in North Korea’s International Relations (1946–2011) A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Wollongong by Amanda Kelly Anderson School of Humanities and Social Inquiry Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts July 2015 Certification I, Amanda K. Anderson, declare that this thesis, submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy, in the School of Humanities and Social Inquiry Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts, University of Wollongong, is my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. The document has not been submitted for qualifications at any other academic institution. Amanda K. Anderson July 2015 i Abstract In this thesis, I focus on North Korea’s communications with the outside world through the medium of the English-language, with a particular focus on the workings of gender in North Korea’s international relations. First, I focus on the North Korean government’s communications in the official English-language magazine, Women of Korea between 1964 and 1992. The magazine was modelled after the Korean-language equivalent Chosǒn Yǒsǒng (Korean Women). The visual images and text in the English version of the magazine portray a positive image of gender equality in North Korea to the world. However, close reading of Women of Korea reveals that the North Korea government operates according to gendered assumptions about the roles of men and women in society. North Korean women are seen to be the primary carers of children and responsible for the majority of domestic chores while men’s role is to work outside the home to earn money. Additionally, visual images and text in the magazine reveal that women are mobilised to work outside the home in occupations seen to be “suitable” to their characteristics. While publications like Women of Korea cannot be taken at face value as a literal and empirical portrait of the situation of women in North Korea, they can be analysed for insight into the government’s official views of the roles performed by men and women. I then focus on communications between the North Korea and the United Nations between 2000 and 2011. Since the admission of the country into the United Nations in 1991, the North Korean government has communicated formally with the international community about the human rights of women and other vulnerable groups. The United Nations has advocated for the North Korean government to accede to and ratify various conventions and to make changes to its legal system to improve the human rights of all North Korean people. In this thesis, I analyse reports exchanged between the North Korea and the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (“CEDAW Committee”) between 2001 and 2005. Although the relationship between North Korea and the CEDAW Committee is limited, the exchange of reports gives those outside North Korea an insight into the government’s thinking about the roles men and women perform in society and the home. While North Korea has taken the initial step in signing and ratifying United Nations conventions it does not mean that the government has always followed, implemented, or made legal changes to existing state laws to ensure requirements within the conventions are met. Consequently, non-governmental organisations charge that the North Korean government has not adequately addressed issues such as gender equality and discrimination against women in all forms. Instead, presenting a positive picture ii of gender relations and gender equality is one of the North Korean government’s strategies in international relations. I argue in this thesis that the communication between North Korea and the United Nations and in its official English-language magazine, Women of Korea, reveals the North Korean government’s gendered ideologies to the international community. iii Acknowledgments In submitting this thesis, I would like to acknowledge the help that I have received over a number of years from various people since I first began this study. First, I would like to acknowledge the support of my supervisor Professor Vera Mackie, who has offered me great encouragement and guidance throughout my research project. She has expertly guided me through my PhD and has been extremely generous in sharing her knowledge and experiences with me when practical advice was needed. I was fortunate to have received a scholarship from the University of Wollongong in support of Professor Mackie’s Australian Research Council Future Fellowship project, “From Human Rights to Human Security: Changing Paradigms for Dealing with Inequality in Asia-Pacific Region”. Therefore, thank you to Professor Mackie for believing in me and the worth of my research project. Since 2010, I have attended the Korean Studies Association of Australasia (KSAA) conference or research student workshops each year. Each time I have attended the conferences or workshops I have been encouraged to question what I already know and build upon my established knowledge. These experiences have prepared me to be able to defend my research project in front of Korean specialists and to believe in the true worth of my research. I would like to thank the KSAA members who have offered their time, kind words and encouragement over the years during the KSAA meetings. Finally, I would like to thank KSAA and the Korea Foundation who have generously supported my attendance at the conferences or workshops each year. Without the support of the Korea Foundation for Korean studies in Australia, North Korean studies would not have grown as it has over the last few years. Next, I would like to acknowledge the funding received from the Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts at the University of Wollongong. This allowed me to visit South Korea in 2011 and 2012 to conduct archival research and attend an international law conference to present my research. Both experiences were invaluable. Many other people have been of great assistance and support during the course of this research project. First, I would like to acknowledge the support of my good friend Josip Matesic and his parents, who have been very generous to me over the last few years and allowed me to stay in their family home. Without their support it would not have been possible to commute between Brisbane and Wollongong to complete this research project. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, thank you to my parents who are wonderful, kind and caring people and my inspiration for all I do in life. They have supported me iv absolutely throughout this thesis including the arduous task of proof-reading carried out with complete dedication and love by my Dad. Also, a special thanks to my grandmother, brothers and sisters, who have offered their encouragement and support over the course of this thesis. I dedicate this thesis to three special little ladies in my life, my nieces: Mila, Isabella and Amayah, and say to them dream big and work hard and you will be rewarded for your efforts. You will always have my support in your future studies and adventures in life. Finally, I hope that by making a contribution to the fields of gender studies and North Korean history, I will be able to repay all these influential and helpful people over the years in some small way. v List of Publications The following publication contains aspects of this research project that were published when the thesis was undertaken. “North Korea’s representation of gender relations in the magazine Women of Korea”, Korean Studies Association of Australia 7th Biennial Conference, Korean Studies Association of Australia (KSAA), Sydney, 2011, pp. 14-35. vi Preface In this thesis, the Revised Romanisation system adopted by the Republic of Korea’s (South Korea’s) Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2000, has been employed. Some exceptions have been made and warrant a mention.