Kim Jong-Il
North Korea remains a mystery to the rest of the world. It holds its matters private, works in
ways that confuse outsiders, and threatens those who question them. It has spent decades
creating a way of life that raises curiosities and appalls outsiders through its violence and
inhumane treatment of citizens. North Korea, however, accelerated its destructive path when
Kim Jong-Il inherited leadership. In fact, Kim Jong-Il’s leadership brought North Korea to ruins.
From early on, Kim Jong-Il followed his father learning to become the next leader of North
Korea. When his father died in July of 1994, he slowly became the ruling dictator. As dictator,
he stripped more and more of the government’s powers from …show more content…
In fact, the U.S. travel site to obtain passports and visas states: “It is a
criminal act in North Korea to show disrespect to the country 's former leaders, Kim Jong-Il and
Kim Il-Sung, or to the current leader, Kim Jong-Un” (“North Korea Travel Warning”).
However, some North Koreans cannot live within these constraints and begin to break the
rules of the centrally planned economy. Black market economies began to sprout throughout
when North Korea was stricken with a countrywide famine. These “black markets” are not under
control of the government, so there is no price and product regulation. These highly illegal
markets, typically associated with drug or firearm trade in many places in the world, are in fact
responsible for basic life necessities the North Korean citizens need for survival. Food on these
markets is obtained either through illegal personal food gardens in the regime, from certain
people risking their lives bringing food in from China, or even, less commonly, from being
stolen. Often, North Korean defectors, people who escaped the country, will smuggle food back
into the country to help any relatives who may still be living there. These people face the …show more content…
The centrally planned economy and foreign reliance on resources are not the only problems
leading to North Korean economic decay. There are multiple reasons that are more complex and
a simple change in state policy cannot work as a one-time cure all. For example, “North Korea is
a highly urbanized and industrial country, with only approximately one-third of its populace
being engaged in full-time agriculture” (Tarrington 26). The population of farmers is a problem
that can take a long time to solve. The transition time of training farmers and the need for policy
changes within the economy to allow the farmers more resources and land must be included in
the solution (Tarrington 29). Another issue that cannot be easily stopped or even controlled at all
is the weather. Severe weather and heavy flooding destroyed many crops in the past increasing
the intensity of the famine. There is no telling how North Korea will handle this issue if it
happens again. An additional problem within the farming system is how it is done. Farming
techniques are not done in the most effective, efficient way for the area and type of soil.
North Korea remains a mystery to the rest of the world. It holds its matters private, works in
ways that confuse outsiders, and threatens those who question them. It has spent decades
creating a way of life that raises curiosities and appalls outsiders through its violence and
inhumane treatment of citizens. North Korea, however, accelerated its destructive path when
Kim Jong-Il inherited leadership. In fact, Kim Jong-Il’s leadership brought North Korea to ruins.
From early on, Kim Jong-Il followed his father learning to become the next leader of North
Korea. When his father died in July of 1994, he slowly became the ruling dictator. As dictator,
he stripped more and more of the government’s powers from …show more content…
In fact, the U.S. travel site to obtain passports and visas states: “It is a
criminal act in North Korea to show disrespect to the country 's former leaders, Kim Jong-Il and
Kim Il-Sung, or to the current leader, Kim Jong-Un” (“North Korea Travel Warning”).
However, some North Koreans cannot live within these constraints and begin to break the
rules of the centrally planned economy. Black market economies began to sprout throughout
when North Korea was stricken with a countrywide famine. These “black markets” are not under
control of the government, so there is no price and product regulation. These highly illegal
markets, typically associated with drug or firearm trade in many places in the world, are in fact
responsible for basic life necessities the North Korean citizens need for survival. Food on these
markets is obtained either through illegal personal food gardens in the regime, from certain
people risking their lives bringing food in from China, or even, less commonly, from being
stolen. Often, North Korean defectors, people who escaped the country, will smuggle food back
into the country to help any relatives who may still be living there. These people face the …show more content…
The centrally planned economy and foreign reliance on resources are not the only problems
leading to North Korean economic decay. There are multiple reasons that are more complex and
a simple change in state policy cannot work as a one-time cure all. For example, “North Korea is
a highly urbanized and industrial country, with only approximately one-third of its populace
being engaged in full-time agriculture” (Tarrington 26). The population of farmers is a problem
that can take a long time to solve. The transition time of training farmers and the need for policy
changes within the economy to allow the farmers more resources and land must be included in
the solution (Tarrington 29). Another issue that cannot be easily stopped or even controlled at all
is the weather. Severe weather and heavy flooding destroyed many crops in the past increasing
the intensity of the famine. There is no telling how North Korea will handle this issue if it
happens again. An additional problem within the farming system is how it is done. Farming
techniques are not done in the most effective, efficient way for the area and type of soil.