[Global NK Commentary] Full Opening of Cultural and Artistic Materials: What is There to Fear?

[Editor's Note]

The South Korean government appears to harbor fears that if cultural and artistic materials are fully opened, 'virtuous' citizens might be swayed by them. The author emphasizes that even with the full opening of North Korean materials, conflict and confusion would be minimal, and a closed approach stemming from excessive fear and a belittling of South Korea's overall capabilities is an anachronistic notion. They add that fostering ignorance through such methods amounts to nothing more than the National Security Law and the meaning of 'strategic patience.' Providing ample opportunities to broadly understand North Korean society could be the first step toward reducing policy failures and finding a way forward in inter-Korean relations. The author suggests that proactive opening efforts by the South Korean government could enhance understanding of North Korean society while simultaneously driving change in North Korea.

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Is it the phrase 'radical leftward shift' that we saw so often in the 80s that causes concern? What would happen to South Korean society if North Korean cultural and artistic materials (books, videos, music, etc.) were fully opened? Unless sensationalized by conservative media labeling it as 'pro-North Korean,' there might be a brief commotion, but it would soon subside. The primary reason is that there is simply no connection to the lives of ordinary South Korean citizens. No matter how many nuclear tests or missile launches North Korea conducts, they have no impact on the lives of ordinary citizens. Therefore, there is no motivation to be interested. Even if one were to seek them out to confirm the reality, they would not find the texts enjoyable, so there would be no desire to read them to the end. To ordinary citizens, North Korea is like a distant cloud, 'as if fictional, yet not quite.'

Nevertheless, a segment of South Korean society exhibits a near-phobic rejection of North Korean cultural and artistic materials. In April, when Kim Il-sung's memoirs, 'The Century and I,' were published, they were seized, and the publisher's representative was sent to the prosecution by the police on September 15 on charges of violating the National Security Law. While I hesitated to purchase the expensive eight-volume set for 280,000 won, a sales ban was imposed. However, if that had not happened, would all copies have been sold out? It would have been difficult for ordinary citizens to purchase them solely out of curiosity. Most of the few buyers were likely researchers like myself. The question is, what was the likelihood that an ordinary citizen who read the book would 'praise or propagandize an anti-state organization or its members that endangers the basic order of liberal democracy (Article 7 of the National Security Law),' and would 'South Korean people' who believe and praise the contents as they are truly exist?

In the past, there were concerns that if the South Korean government opened Japanese popular culture and arts (1st: Oct 1998, 2nd: Sep 1999, 3rd: Jun 2000, 4th: 2004.1), the entire South Korean cultural industry would become subordinate. However, the result was the opposite. The opening of North Korean culture and arts will be no different. The vigilance against the propaganda and danger of North Korean culture and arts, much like with Japanese culture and arts, will rapidly disappear with a sense of amusement. It would require truly extraordinary circumstances and tremendous effort for a citizen with common sense to believe such distortions and falsehoods. In reality, it is North Korea that fears the spread of South Korean culture and arts.

North Korea, in its editorial 'Even in Difficult Times, Ideological Education Must Be Strengthened' (Rodong Sinmun, 2021.9.28), emphasized the need to 'invest effort in ideological education to arm the masses with collectivist spirit and prepare them mentally and morally' in response to 'reactionary ideological and cultural infiltration tactics by hostile forces seeking to corrupt and subvert from within.' This stance aligns with the statement by Sydney Seiler, North Korea analyst at the U.S. National Intelligence Council (NIC), who said, 'North Korea does not desire sustained relations with South Korea due to concerns about internal impact and believes the costs of consistent engagement with South Korea outweigh the benefits.' It is almost common knowledge that many North Korean residents, through various channels, have encountered and, more accurately, are 'enjoying' South Korean cultural and artistic products (especially TV dramas and popular music), which are products of 'reactionary ideology and culture.' Few would expect North Korean authorities' attempts to strengthen ideological control over the younger generation to succeed. Culture flows from top to bottom. Perhaps 'Squid Game,' which is causing a global sensation, is also circulating in North Korea, as defectors recall the details of countless TV dramas we have long forgotten.

In contrast to this reality in North Korea, even South Korea's so-called social elite may not have a high level of understanding of North Korea. The reasons are not much different from those of ordinary citizens. The National Security Law and 'strategic patience' have fostered ignorance about North Korea. Considering Hillary Clinton's statement that North Korean provocations served U.S. national interests, the 'strategic patience' policy, unless it was tacitly encouraging North Korea to complete its nuclear arsenal or was neglected because it was not a primary U.S. concern, represents a policy failure stemming from ignorance of North Korea's capabilities and the operational principles of North Korean society. This error was not significantly different for South Korea during the nine years prior to the current administration. It could be said that they waited for internal collapse resulting from resistance to a 'naive' (or rather, 'hoped-to-be-naive') Kim Jong-un.

Imagining South Korea's future while erasing North Korea means abandoning immense potential. Therefore, opportunities to broadly understand North Korean society, akin to studying or traveling abroad, are essential. However, the current situation, where free movement is impossible and even access to and storage of materials are severely and inconveniently restricted for researchers, is truly inadequate. The notion that fully opening North Korean cultural and artistic materials is to prevent 'virtuous' citizens from being swayed by them and becoming pro-North Korean 'leftists' is truly insulting. Even with full opening, only a very small number of North Korean researchers would be able to feel the changes firsthand. At a time when K-culture and arts are creating a global sensation for the first time in Korean history, a closed approach stemming from excessive fear of North Korea and a belittling of South Korea's overall capabilities is anachronistic. We must quickly remove the outdated shackles that treat South Korean citizens like circus tigers trained by their handlers, having lost their wild nature.

Of course, some conflict will arise in the process. However, South Korean society now possesses the cultural resilience to overcome such conflicts constructively. A phased approach, similar to the opening of Japanese popular culture and arts, is realistic. As anyone can guess, the internal shock and turmoil resulting from mutual opening would be far more severe in North Korea. Therefore, there is no need to insist on simultaneous opening based on the principle of reciprocity. It is desirable to adopt a flexible stance, stating that we will open fully first and North Korea can begin when possible. We must actively advocate for mutual opening and proactively open our doors to enhance understanding of North Korean society while simultaneously driving change in North Korea.■

■ Author: Hong Jae-beomProfessor of Korean Language and Literature at Konkuk University. He also serves as a professor in the Department of Literary and Artistic Therapy at the same university. He studied Korean Language and Literature, Philosophy, and Education at Seoul National University and obtained master's and doctoral degrees from its graduate school. His published works include 'Stanislavski System and <<Chosun Yesul>>' (editor) and 'North Korea's Five Great Revolutionary Plays' (editor). He has recently been conducting research primarily on North Korean culture and arts and Hallyu dramas.

■ Management and Editing: Min Ji-yoonDirector of External Cooperation, EAI

Contact: 02 2277 1683 (ext. 203) | jymin@eai.or.kr