The adoption of UNSC Resolution 2375 and 2397 in 2017 marked the intended beginning of the end for North Korea’s lucrative labour exports, to dissuade the country from continuing its nuclear...Show moreThe adoption of UNSC Resolution 2375 and 2397 in 2017 marked the intended beginning of the end for North Korea’s lucrative labour exports, to dissuade the country from continuing its nuclear weapons programmes. However, incongruent outcomes after the repatriation deadline (December 22, 2019) pose the question of how effective sanctions targeting overseas labour have been in practice. Two empirical case studies analyse disruptions and continuities in North Korean overseas labour in (1) Russia as a whole by using visa issuance statistics, and (2) in the restaurant sector, using online review data, to gain insight into the sanctions’ effects. The findings of the first study suggest that Russia has altered its way of registering DPRK workers, rather than banning the phenomenon. Similarly, the second study shows that onethird of the North Korean overseas restaurants with online reviews is still operational far beyond the deadline. These are concentrated in China, Russia and Laos, while more distant countries have mostly closed the restaurants in connection with the sanctions. Overall, despite tangible effects, and keeping in mind hindrances posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the effectiveness of the sanctions is most substantially undermined by China and Russia.Show less
Today, mainland China makes up a large part of the videogame industry, with successful titles not only catering the Chinese gaming audience, the largest in the world, but also gaining international...Show moreToday, mainland China makes up a large part of the videogame industry, with successful titles not only catering the Chinese gaming audience, the largest in the world, but also gaining international popularity (Yong and Downing 2008, 515–29). However, former research has shown that inequal gender dynamics in the videogame industry lead to a predominantly male environment, that portrays women in sexist stereotypes (Vysotsky and Allaway 2018, 101). Chinese videogames are no exception to this; in a South China Morning Post (SCMP) interview with a female game concept artist based in Chengdu, there was a strong belief there is “a tacit agreement that female characters in games are supposed to be ‘pretty’ and ‘sexy’ (Shen 2020).” For instance, when designing a new character, the instructions read: “It needs to give people an urge to masturbate (Shen 2020).” This research aims to find the link between gender representations in videogames and traditional Chinese cultural values, comparing and analysing mainland Chinese, Taiwanese, and Chinese diaspora games, which are Chinese games made in a different environment than the homeland. The choice for analysing both mainland Chinese, Taiwanese and diaspora games, based on the respective differences between both societies which makes a comparison possible, requires an explanation that has historical roots.Show less
In my thesis I explored the employment and development of the Germanic *ga-prefix through history, from Gothic into Old and modern (19th century) Dutch.
This research investigates the increasing importance of the Kazakh language in Kazakhstan, a process referred to as Kazakhization, and its implications for employment opportunities and economic...Show moreThis research investigates the increasing importance of the Kazakh language in Kazakhstan, a process referred to as Kazakhization, and its implications for employment opportunities and economic outcomes. The study highlights several key factors contributing to this linguistic shift, including governmental language policies, educational reforms, and the rising bilingual requirements in the job market. Concurrently, the study highlights that demographic shifts, particularly the decreasing proportion of ethnic Russians and the increasing share of ethnic Kazakhs, further bolster the use of Kazakh. Contrary to earlier findings that suggested a significant income gap between Russian and Kazakh speakers caused by language proficiency in Russian, this research demonstrates that income disparities are more influenced by demographic and socio-economic factors such as age and regional economic conditions rather than linguistic factors.Show less
