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Understanding the Dynamics of State Power in North Korea: Militant Nationalism and People‟S Everyday Lives

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Understanding the Dynamics of State Power in North Korea: Militant Nationalism and People‟S Everyday Lives UNDERSTANDING THE DYNAMICS OF STATE POWER IN NORTH KOREA: MILITANT NATIONALISM AND PEOPLE‟S EVERYDAY LIVES A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA BY JIN WOONG KANG IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY MICHAEL GOLDMAN MAY 2011 © Jin Woong Kang 2011 Acknowledgements My dissertation would not have been possible without the advisor and mentors whom I was fortunate to meet along the way during the past eight years that I have been at the University of Minnesota. My advisor Professor Michael Goldman has been instrumental in encouraging me to pursue my studies since the very first time I met him in 2004 when he joined the Department of Sociology. He never failed to cheer me on with praise for my work when I felt underappreciated, and has helped make my work a reality. Professors Ron Aminzade and Jeff Broadbent have given me invaluable insights into placing North Korea within the context of historical and political sociology. Without Professors Tom Wolfe and Hiromi Mizuno, my work would have lacked the historical perspective that it now incorporates. All these mentors‟ guidance, critical comments, and friendship, along with serious discussions that motivated me to revise and reconstruct my work, have helped me complete my dissertation. I would also like to thank Professor Charles Armstrong who contributed generously to this scholarly effort by providing valuable comments. Any controversies or errors that remain are my own. My dissertation work has been funded by the University of Minnesota Graduate School Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, the National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant, the University of Minnesota Graduate Research Partnership Program Fellowship, the University of Minnesota Dunn Peace Research Scholarship, the Don Martindale Award, and the Anna Welsch Memorial Award. Thanks to these generous funding institutions, I was able to conduct fieldwork for my dissertation over a 5-year period in South Korea and China. Last but certainly not least, I thank my family. I thank my parents for their constant interest and support. They have lived as witnesses to the tragic history of a divided Korea. Finally, I owe my wife Young Hey Kwon a great deal, not only for putting up with all the stresses and strains that come with having a spouse in graduate school, but also for providing me with a peaceful refuge for my study as well as caring for our sons Minju and Joon. I dedicate my work to all of these people with deep appreciation. i Table of Contents List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. iv List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. v Preface ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter I Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 9 Theoretical Perspective .................................................................................................................. 9 (1) Totalitarianism and Stalinism .................................................................................................. 9 (2) Totalitarianism, Communism, and Nationalism .................................................................... 12 (3) Micro-Fascism ....................................................................................................................... 16 Understanding North Korean Socialism ...................................................................................... 20 Contextualizing the Thematic Framework ................................................................................... 25 Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 27 Chapter II Anti-Colonial Nationalism and Colonial Legacy ........................................................ 31 Colonial Legacy ........................................................................................................................... 34 Chapter III The Socialist Revolution from 1945 to 1950 ............................................................. 39 Early Socialist Reform and Hegemonic State Power ................................................................... 40 People‟s Resistance and the Crisis of Hegemonic Power ............................................................ 44 Stalinism and Nationalism ........................................................................................................... 48 (1) Stalinist Politics ..................................................................................................................... 49 (2) Post-Colonial Nationalism .................................................................................................... 52 Chapter Summary ......................................................................................................................... 55 Chapter IV The Post-War Stalinist Regime .................................................................................. 56 The Korean War and Post-War Reforms ..................................................................................... 57 Post-War Stalinist Politics ........................................................................................................... 63 (1) Supreme Leadership with Political Purge ............................................................................. 64 (2) Extreme Punishment: A Gulag Society ................................................................................. 68 (3) Inescapable Surveillance ....................................................................................................... 71 (4) Thought Control .................................................................................................................... 77 Chapter Summary ........................................................................................................................ 79 Chapter V Militant Nationalism and People‟s Lives from the 1950s through the 1980s ............. 80 The Historical Development of North Korean Militant Nationalism .......................................... 81 Creating Anti-American Socialist Beings: Militant Nationalism from Above ............................ 85 (1) The Collective Memory of the Korean War .......................................................................... 85 (2) Anti-American Education for the Whole Man ...................................................................... 90 (3) Mass Armies and Militant Society ........................................................................................ 94 ii 1. The Pueblo Incident ............................................................................................................... 96 2. The Panmunjom Ax Incident ............................................................................................... 101 (4) An Organic Politics of State and Individuals ...................................................................... 104 People‟s Militant Lives and Micro-Fascism ............................................................................... 109 (1) The Politics of Hatred ......................................................................................................... 109 (2) The Politics of Patriotism and Deep Emotion ..................................................................... 119 Chapter Summary ...................................................................................................................... 126 Chapter VI Anti-Americanism and Change during the Recent Crises ....................................... 128 The Economic Crisis and Social Changes ................................................................................. 129 (1) The Food Crisis and Capitalist Changes ............................................................................. 129 (2) The Nuclear Crisis and Military-First Politics .................................................................... 136 Contested Anti-American Power and Changes in Micro-Fascism ............................................ 138 (1) Persistence ........................................................................................................................... 140 (2) Conflict ................................................................................................................................ 145 (3) Challenge ............................................................................................................................. 148 Chapter Summary ...................................................................................................................... 153 Chapter VII Conclusion: Understanding the Dynamics of North Korean State Power .............. 155 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................... 160 Appendix I .................................................................................................................................. 170 Appendix II ................................................................................................................................
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