In the wave of democracy movements sweeping North Africa and the Middle East, dictatorial governments there are showing signs of collapsing. And many are wondering how the flames of the anti-dictatorship rallies may affect North Korea. The massive anti-government rallies in the Middle East, known as the “Jasmine Revolution,” started in northwestern African country of Tunisia in January, ousting former Tunisian president Ben Ali and later ending former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak’s iron-fisted rule of 30 years. The winds of democracy are even blowing into Libya, plagued by Moammar Gadhafi’s 42 years of authoritarian rule. Neighboring countries in the region, such as Yemen, Bahrain and Iran, are under the influence of the domino-like collapse of dictators. Diplomatic experts speculate that North Korea must inevitably pay attention to the recent overthrow of the dictatorial governments in the Middle Eastern countries like Egypt and Libya, which adopted a similar governing system as North Korea. Professor Kim Geun-sik at Kyungnam University explains.

Obviously, the recent developments in the Middle East come as a great shock to North Korea. Mubarak and Gadhafi have maintained close relations with North Korea politically. Like these two leaders, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has held absolute authority over his nation for a long time and seeks to hand down power to his son. The Middle Eastern countries share many things in common with North Korea in terms of the long dictatorship and the leader’s power transition to his own family members. I imagine Kim Jong-il is in great agony, observing the resignation of the Mubarak government in Egypt and Gadhafi’s political crisis.

The bottom-up pro-democracy movements, originating from the Middle East, are showing signs of spreading to China. With a mysterious online call for the Chinese version of Jasmine Revolution, anti-government rallies occurred in various parts of China, including Beijing, on February 20. Chinese authorities dispersed the demonstrators by force and blocked rallies completely. China is an escape route for North Korean defectors and also the most frequent destination for North Korean businesspeople. There are mixed opinions about the potential impact of the democracy movements in China on North Korea. According to Professor Kim, chances are slim that North Korea will see an abrupt uprising as in Middle Eastern countries.

We should note the differences in political systems between North Korea and the Middle East. The Internet, cell phones and social network services like Facebook prompted the democratic movements in the Middle East. In contrast, North Korea blocks those channels from the beginning. Also, the whole North Korean society is strictly governed by a one-man dictatorship, with the government physically controlling any slightest movement against the dear leader or the party. Therefore, it’s hard to expect the North Korean public to voluntarily stir up a revolt against the Kim Jong-il regime or the Workers’ Party system.

At present, North Korea’s top priority is to stabilize a power succession to heir-apparent Kim Jong-un. At a time when political turmoil continues in the Middle East, North Korea is expected to further tighten discipline within the nation. According to some South Korean media reports, North Korean authorities have launched a major clampdown on its people. Last month, the nation began to suspend lending cell phones to foreigners visiting the country, while banning citizens, especially college students, from gathering in groups of three or more. In addition, it seems that the authorities have upped their education of communist ideology for citizens, as evidenced in a meeting of young leaders on February 26.

North Korea reportedly held the “Songun Meeting of Youth for General Mobilization” recently. Songun is a Korean word for the military-first policy. It was the first time the nation used this word in naming such a meeting. The gathering is aimed at advocating the socialist youth group’s commitment to guarding the regime. The meeting reportedly called for young North Korean leaders to stand against the ideological and cultural invasion of imperialism and psychological warfare of anti-republic groups in order to defend socialism. North Korea is apparently trying to block the democratization movements overseas from spreading to its territory via China. The young generation is easily attracted to the means of obtaining information from outside, such as the Internet and cell phones. The recent meeting is considered sort of a political message to remind young people of their ideological loyalty and to prevent them from being swayed by the news about the recent democratic movements abroad.

Yet, we cannot entirely rule out the possibility of change inside North Korea, though it may not manifest itself like an upheaval in the Middle East. The communist government sticks to its third-generation power transfer and nuclear weapons development while its people suffer from severe food shortages and human rights abuses. Some are voicing cautious predictions that public frustration in North Korea may lead to small-scale commotions, as the South Korean government has halted food aid for the North since 2008 and international aid has shrunk drastically since the sinking of the South Korean naval ship Cheonan last year. Experts stress the need to observe the current situation from various angles.

It’s important for South Korea to be fully prepared for a sudden internal turmoil in North Korea. But it will be dangerous if Seoul focuses its North Korea policy solely on such a scenario. On top of that, South Korea should figure out how to deal with North Korea as ruled by Kim Jong-il, how to deter North Korea’s provocations, and how to induce the North to abandon its nuclear weapons programs. That is, South Korea must brace for any contingency in North Korea and manage the communist neighbor properly until the North faces any change. At the same time, Seoul needs to expand its influence over Pyongyang so it can persuade North Korea to seek peace on the Korea Peninsula. For now, it is very important for South Korea to settle peace and stability in the region through dialogue and cooperation with the North.

Countries involved in Korean Peninsula issues are paying close attention to the potential repercussions of popular uprisings sweeping the Middle East on North Korea. The involved countries, including South Korea, should monitor any unusual movements in North Korea and devise effective measures to promote peace in this part of the world.



[Interview] Three N. Korean Brothers Become Oriental Medicine Doctors in S. Korea Three brothers who defected from North Korea and are now living in South Korea have passed the national test to become oriental medicine doctors. In some cases, North Korean defectors became licensed doctors, whether in oriental or western medicine, here in the South as their academic or medical career in their home country was recognized. But this is the first time that three North Korean brothers have obtained oriental medical doctor’s license. Park Su-hyeon, the second eldest of four brothers, runs “Mount Myohyang Oriental Medical Clinic” in Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province. The youngest, Park Se-hyeon, is also a licensed practitioner. When the third brother, Park Tae-hyeon, finally passed the state exam this year, the three couldn’t conceal their pleasure.

....I’m Park Tae-hyeon, a graduate of Oriental Medical School of Sangji University located in Wonju, Gangwon Province. I passed the 66th national test for oriental medicine doctors recently. The results of the exam were announced 15 days after I took the test, and I just couldn’t sleep during that period. Upon hearing I passed the exam, tears welled up in my eyes. I could not fully express with words how happy I was. I was wondering whether I was dreaming or awake.

....I’m Park Su-hyeon, director of Myohyang Oriental Medical Clinic. It feels like winning a lottery. For the success of my brother, I held the 108-bow ceremony and prayed as well. My two younger brothers and I have all become oriental medicine doctors. I imagine this is what flying the skies would feel like.

Su-hyeon, the second eldest, was the first to become a doctor among three ten years ago. He attended a medical college in Chongjin in North Korea before his defection in 1993. Two years later, he transferred to the Oriental medicine department at Kyung Hee University in South Korea and passed the state exam for oriental medicine doctors in 2001. Se-hyeon, the youngest, became a doctor in 2009 and finally, so did the middle of the three, Tae-hyeon, this year. He arrived in South Korea in 1999 and transferred to Sangji University before passing the exam. Unlike his brothers, however, Tae-hyeon’s dream wasn’t really to become a doctor.

When I first came here, I wanted to be a tour bus driver to visit lots of different places. But my second brother and his wife advised me to study physical therapy. After I received a degree in that subject, they recommended me again to study oriental medicine. My brother kept saying I had to study more. He even asked me who would ever marry me if I had no job. I thought I should listen to him, at least to get married. I filled out an application form, thinking that if I try and fail, that’s the end of it. Fortunately and unexpectedly, I passed the exam.

However, the brothers’ success did not come easily. The two younger brothers, Tae-hyeon and Se-hyeon, took the test three times before they passed. Tae-hyeon, in particular, found it difficult to study at the South Korean oriental medical school due to the many Chinese characters, which he seldom used in North Korea. It was a lonely and challenging process, but he clenched his teeth and dug into his studies all the more because he began studying so late.

I went to a reading room at 9:30 a.m. and studied until midnight or 1 a.m. every day, all through the year. In the last two months, November and December, I got a boil on my bottom. I had to study on my feet because I couldn’t sit. A phrase I found in the reading room read, “If you don’t know the meaning of a word, read it a hundred or thousand times. Then you can figure it out.” So, I read the books over and over again stubbornly. As the phrase indicates, I suddenly came to understand what they meant.

Tae-hyeon also says that it’s important not to give up but make steady efforts because anything defectors try in South Korea is difficult, and it is impossible to achieve something overnight. He has yet to decide where he will open an oriental medicine clinic and he wonders how he should treat patients. But he feels reassured knowing that his brothers will be with him.

....These days, I’m learning acupuncture, counseling medicinal herbs and many other things at my older brother’s clinic. I think making money is of secondary importance. I can earn money slowly. It is more important for me to open my mind to patients and treat them warmly as if they are my own family members. Then, the patients will visit me again.

....My younger brother Tae-hyeon is very prudent. I believe he can win patients’ trust better than I can and run a clinic well. People often become estranged when they fight or are separated. But the brothers from the same parents don’t, do they? If we help one another, we can do a good job.

Here’s hoping that all the three brothers will enjoy their South Korean lives as generous oriental medicine doctors who donate their services.