Ilminjuŭi is generally known for an ideology that President Syngman Rhee attempted to use in the early years of the First Republic in order to create a single-minded unity. There are many writings...Show moreIlminjuŭi is generally known for an ideology that President Syngman Rhee attempted to use in the early years of the First Republic in order to create a single-minded unity. There are many writings about Syngman Rhee, and he is often portrayed as a nationalist and staunch anti-communist. However, the part where he tried to promote Ilminjuŭi and how this ideology functioned during his rule, often gets overlooked. Ilminjuŭi has been only a minor focus of studies on Syngman Rhee and his long career of fighting for an independent Korea and for what he thought was right. Most of the existing literature explain what Ilminjuŭi is, who created it, and that Rhee tried to use this idea of creating a single-minded unity during the early years First Republic, before the start of the Korean War. This thesis therefore distinguishes from existing literature by looking at primary sources from Korean news articles during the time of the entire First Republic. The news articles are used to give an idea how Ilminjuŭi was reported through media and how this idea was being disseminated. The ideology seems to have died out shortly after the Rhee period. Therefore, I went on an academic journey to analyze how and where this ideology was most influential, and where was the turning point that led to Ilminjuŭi becoming less influential in Korean society. The research questions of my thesis are therefore, “How was Ilminjuŭi spread and reported through media, and spread by the government during the First Republic?” and secondly, “What were possible indicators that led to the vanishment of Ilminjuŭi?”.Show less
Scattered across the whole of southern Africa, impressive North Korean monuments celebrate the rise of young, independent African nations. In an extraordinary fashion, these constructions merge...Show moreScattered across the whole of southern Africa, impressive North Korean monuments celebrate the rise of young, independent African nations. In an extraordinary fashion, these constructions merge typical North Korean socialist realism with African nationalism. The research question of this thesis is why the regimes of Namibia and Zimbabwe use the services of the North Korean firm Mansudae Overseas Projects to construct their National Heroes’ Acres. This phenomenon can be explained through the historical connections that existed between the southern African liberation movements and the DPRK, that have been fostered since the 1960s. The DPRK funded southern African liberation movements during their struggle for independence and thereby strengthened their ideas on post-colonial history writing. It will be argued that the Heroes’ Acres can be understood as potent symbols of nationalist history, used to legitimize the rule of the former liberation movements and inspired by the example that the DPRK has set for their African allies.Show less
The thesis argues that in the event of another DPRK famine, an argument under the principles of The Responsibility to Protect (RtoP) for international intervention can be made.
There is no easy solution to the volatile political situation on the Korean peninsula, but scholars and politicians have been working on a project that could perhaps set the foundation for a better...Show moreThere is no easy solution to the volatile political situation on the Korean peninsula, but scholars and politicians have been working on a project that could perhaps set the foundation for a better understanding between the DPRK and the ROK: the preservation of the Korean DMZ. While the plan to turn the DMZ into a reserve holds political, ecological and economic potential, the manner in which both countries have tried to put it into action has backfired. A lack of communication, understanding and tact has taken a lauded opportunity for positive change and turned it into a matter of conflict. If anything is to be gained in the DMZ, and if further damage to political relations is to be prevented, it is crucial to re-examine and reconsider the strategies of the DPRK, the ROK, and UNESCO in regards to the preservation of the DMZ.Show less
This thesis makes an attempt to define North Korean comic books and situate them in the context of North Korean cultural production. Then, using the visual language of comics theory developed by...Show moreThis thesis makes an attempt to define North Korean comic books and situate them in the context of North Korean cultural production. Then, using the visual language of comics theory developed by Neil Cohn, the dialect of visual language used by Ch'oe Hyŏk is analysed and identified by looking at the graphic structure, morphology and narrative grammar. Drawing on Cohn's data, some comparisons are made with the attentional panel categories and filmic shot types of American and Japanese visual language. Based on this, there is an extrapolation as to possible influences on the comics work of Ch'oe Hyŏk.Show less
