North Korean history

• North Korea is notable for its secrecy and its leader, Kim Jong Un.

Japanese Annexation (1910-1945)

• Japan annexed Korea in 1910 and maintained control until 1945.
• During WWII, Japan exploited Korean resources and labor to support its war efforts.
• Korean men were conscripted for labor in Japan and military service, while women were forced into sexual slavery as "comfort women."

Division of Korea

• In the final days of WWII, the Soviet Union invaded Japanese-occupied Korea.
• The United States and the Soviet Union divided Korea along the 38th parallel, intended as a temporary measure until elections could be held.
• Disagreements over election terms led to the establishment of a communist North Korea, backed by the Soviet Union, and a pro-U.S. South Korea.
• Each Korean state declared itself the legitimate government.
• Kim Il-Sung was installed as the leader of North Korea by the Soviet Union, while Syngman Rhee, supported by the U.S., became the leader of South Korea.

Post-War Regimes

• Syngman Rhee suppressed freedom of the press and suppressed political opposition in South Korea.
• Kim Il-Sung established a brutal totalitarian regime in North Korea reminiscent of Stalinist rule.

Containment Policy and the Korean War

• In 1948, the U.S. announced a policy of containment to limit the spread of communism.
• U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson's speech omitting South Korea from the U.S.'s defensive perimeter in Asia may have influenced the North's actions.
• North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950.
• The U.S. intervened in Korea to prevent appeasement of communist aggression.
• The United Nations authorized the use of force to repel the North Korean invasion, with General Douglas MacArthur leading the UN forces.
• General MacArthur launched a counter-invasion in September 1950, trapping North Korean forces.
• UN forces advanced beyond the 38th parallel into North Korea.
• China warned the U.S. against advancing into North Korea, and then intervened with 500,000 soldiers, leading to intense battles.
• General MacArthur requested permission to bomb China and use nuclear weapons, but President Truman denied the request.
• MacArthur publicly criticized Truman and was subsequently relieved of his command.
• From 1951 to 1953, the war reached a stalemate around the 38th parallel.
• A cease-fire was reached in 1953, resulting in 3-4 million Korean deaths and 33,652 American deaths.

Kim Il-Sung's Rule

• Kim Il-Sung remained North Korea's leader until his death in 1994.
• He established a cult of personality after the Korean War, modeled after Stalin and Mao.
• Kim Il-Sung's cult of personality combined religious elements with propaganda.
• Juche, established in 1955, became North Korea's official state ideology.
• Juche emphasizes self-reliance, nationalism, and a unique form of communism.

North Korean Gulags

• Gulags were established in the 1950s to imprison "enemies of the state," criminals, and those of low Songbun.
• Gulag prisoners endure forced labor, torture, and malnutrition.
• Approximately 150,000 prisoners are held in the gulag system, which North Korea denies exists.

Kim Jong-Il's Leadership

• Kim Il-Sung died in 1994, succeeded by his son, Kim Jong-Il.
• Kim Jong-Il's rule was even more oppressive than his father's.

Songun Philosophy

• Songun, implemented by Kim Jong-Il, prioritizes the military in political and economic affairs.
• Songun includes training the population for combat, modernizing the military, and defending North Korean territory.

The Arduous March (1994-1998)

• In 1994, North Korea experienced a severe famine due to crop failures following Kim Il-Sung's death.
• The famine, known as the "Arduous March," resulted in the deaths of an estimated 500,000 to 3,000,000 North Koreans.
• The death penalty was instituted for stealing food, mentioning hunger as a cause of death, and using the terms starvation or famine.

End of the Famine and Lingering Effects

• The United Nations, including UNICEF and the World Food Program, provided food aid.
• North Koreans are told that any outside food is repayment of war debt owed to North Korea.
• The effects of the "Arduous March" still affect North Korea, as evidenced by the height of North Koreans today.

North Korea's Threat to World Peace

• Strength in war due to Songun.
• Agreed Framework: The U.S. agreed to build nuclear power plants in North Korea due to North Korea not wanting the U.N. in their country, but North Korea broke the agreement.

Nuclear Proliferation

• In 2003, North Korea withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
• After Saddam Hussein's overthrow, North Korea accelerated its nuclear weapons program.
• The United Nations imposed economic sanctions in response.

Six-Party Talks

• In 2007, the United States, Russia, China, Japan, North Korea, and South Korea engaged in talks to ease tensions.
• North Korea agreed to dismantle its weapons production capabilities in exchange for aid, but then tested another nuclear weapon.
• South Korea halted aid to North Korea, and North Korea withdrew from all previous agreements.
• Since 2009, North Korea has conducted long-range missile tests and nuclear weapons tests.

Kim Jong-Un's Leadership

• Kim Jong-Il died in 2011 and was succeeded by his son, Kim Jong-Un.
• Kim Jong-Un has continued North Korea's nuclear weapons program and developed missiles capable of reaching the U.S.
• North Korea's large army, nuclear and chemical weapons capabilities, and potential for use against South Korea and Japan cause anxiety in those countries.