NORTH KOREA

"North Korea conducts a policy of blackmailing"

On 15 January, the French Publishing House Buchet-Chastel published Pierre Rigoulot's latest book "La Core du Nord, Etat voyou" (North Korea, a Rogue State) (1). In two weeks, the author was interviewed by numerous newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations in France and in Belgium (2). It is to be hoped that a publishing house in the United States, in South Korea or in Japan will translate that book and make it available to wider audiences around the world (3).

5 February 2003

Pierre Rigoulot: "North Korea conducts a policy of blackmailing"

L'Express International (9-15.01.2003)/HRWF Int. (05.02.2003) - Website: www.hrwf.net - Email: info@hrwf.net - Here we have a person who feels anger. A strong sense of exasperation with the regime in Pyongyang transpires from each and every page of the recently published book by Pierre Rigoulot Core du Nord, Etat voyou (North Korea, a Rogue State), Buchet-Chastel. Far from the usual procrastinations of some researchers, having distance as a pretext, Pierre Rigoulot hardly hides the horror he gets from the North Korean leaders, whose way of government seems to be as much inspired by Stalin as by Kafka. As member of the Institute of Social History, Philosophy and Education, Rigoulot does not look at political analysis as a purely theoretical discipline. He is more interested in the people than just the system. In Pyongyang, the power is devoid of any humaneness.

Excerpts from the interview

What is the ideology of Kim Jong-Il, the Great Leader of North Korea?

Pierre Rigoulot: As of the 1970s, Marxism-Leninism was renounced in favour of juche, which had become the official ideology. The juche is a hotchpotch of commands, made to measure for Kim Il-Sung, the founding father of the nation and the biological father of Kim Jong-Il. In a nutshell, this "philosophy" is based on the assertion of self-control and independence with regard to external influences. It glorifies a "Korean" socialism. In principle, it is the Great Leader who embodies this Korean spirit. The juche is translated into an organic concept of power: each person is like a cell of one big body, the Great Leader is the mind, while the party and the governmental institutions are the muscles.

An exaggerated patriotism and xenophobia are ancient traditions on the peninsula...

Pierre Rigoulot: Through the centuries, Korea had lived in the sphere of influence of China, before being colonised by Japan between 1910 and 1945. This explains why foreign interventions are so difficult to live with both in the North and in the South. It is a tradition with Koreans to define themselves in opposition to others C Chinese and Japanese, in particular. Also Americans and Russians in the 20th century.

How do the people of North Korea live today?

Pierre Rigoulot: The population is 21 million people and a great part of them are starved. The capital city, Pyongyang, is a shop window of the regime. The electricity is cut down many times and the energy is not enough for distribution of water. In winter, temperatures fall to 20 degrees below zero. Moreover, heating is hardly assured. For a long time, people have been raising pigs in their backyards. As the situation deteriorates and thefts are becoming numerous, people have moved the pigs into their own apartments. It is difficult to believe but thats how it is.

What about people in the countryside?

Pierre Rigoulot: 1996, 1997, and 1998 used to be the most difficult time. At present, the famine remains everywhere and shortages are widespread. The chronical lack of food affects the population on the level of biology. The average size of North Koreans has diminished. Children are sickly. Up to date, the World Food Program (WFP) has provided a precious aid. Nearly 6 million North Koreans, which makes one out of three, depend on foreign aid.

How to escape this nightmare?

Pierre Rigoulot: In principle, it is not allowed to move from one place to another without the agreement of the respective employer and the local secretary of the party. With the famine, however, these rules have been forgotten a bit C the party was obliged to let the people move around the country in search of food. As the frontier with South Korea is closed, almost 200,000 C 300,000 North Korea have gone to China. The numbers, however, are tricky to manipulate as many of those people leave North Korea just for few months in search of food for their family. Some cross the border back and forth. There is a regular movement, which the Chinese authorities have been trying to thwart since recently. Those who choose exile are not all down and out. For some years, several diplomats and high-ranking officials have defected. Even the "inventor" of juche, Hwang Jang-yop, defected in 1997 together with his secretary.

How does the party establish its power?

Pierre Rigoulot: Naturally, the state has the monopoly of the audiovisual media and the press. Within each production unit, the propaganda is assured by a secretary who transmits the orders of the political leadership. Criticism and self-criticism are encouraged just as in China: every person is expected to report on himself or on others for the slightest breach of juche. Strong with its nearly 1 million conscripts, the army is in symbiosis with the state apparatus. Besides, the party represses those who digress. Almost 300 000 people are detained in the labour camps.

You qualify North Korea as a "rogue state"? What is the reason for that?

Pierre Rigoulot: In a purely anecdotal aspect, the diplomatic personnel is encouraged to behave as a rogue: we have stopped counting the North Korean envoys implicated in traffic of cigarettes, pirate CDs, forged banknotes. Moreover, North Korea has a policy of blackmailing. For a long time, its strategy has been based on the idea that the West has to pay off the Pyongyangs acceptance not to make war. As if it is not enough, the regime recognised to have organised several cases of kidnapping. Between 13 and 70 Japanese have been abducted for the purpose of training North Korean spies into the Japanese language and customs. Pyongyang conducts a policy of terrorism, as well. In 1983 during an official visit to Burma, the South Korean presidential procession was left leaderless in Rangoon. Afterwards, in 1987, a South Korean Boeing exploded when in flight with 115 people on board. The North Koreans sought to prove that their neighbours to the South are not capable of assuring the security of the Olympic Games, which were scheduled to take place in Seoul in the following year. And last, North Korea sells missiles to such countries as Iran, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Egypt. Not to forget the secret exchange of military technologies with Pakistan at a time when the latter supported the Tailban regime in the neighbouring Afghanistan. Mystery surrounds the North Korean stocks of chemical and biological weapons, but there is no doubt as to their existence.

What is the attitude of the French Government?

Pierre Rigoulot: Alongside Ireland, France is the only European country which has not established formal diplomatic relations. Paris demands some encouraging efforts on the side of North Korea with regard to security and human rights.

Isnt there a double-standard language with regard to this country? In principle, everyone aspires towards the reunification of the peninsula.

Pierre Rigoulot: Yes, but the allies of the United States in the region, which are South Korea and Japan, are in favour of a gradual approach. Though this policy has not given any positive results up to date, Tokyo and Seoul believe that, thanks to humanitarian aid and dialogue, the West could bring about the opening of North Korea towards the rest of the world. As for China, it wants a stable North Korea. But does it want as much a reunified Korea? Beijing hardly has any interest in having a common border with a capitalist Korea. Especially if the latter keeps the American troops on its territory.

What may happen under these conditions?

Pierre Rigoulot: Now that we are at the beginning of winter, the World Food Program (WFP) has reduced the distribution of food, while the United States interrupted the provision of fuel under the agreement of 1994. These two aids are of crucial importance to Pyongyang. Whether the regime collapses after high-risk arm-wrestling with Washington. Whether China and South Korea come forward to help in the hope of stabilising the country. At the risk of prolonging the misery of 21 million people.

HRWF Footnotes

(1) Pierre Rigoulot, Core du Nord, Etat voyou, 2003, Buchet-Chastel (18, rue de Cond, 75006 Paris), ISBN 2-283-01921-4, 12 Euros

(2) Interviews for Ouest France, Canard Enchain, L'Express, Liberation, Sud-Ouest, La Croix, Le Figaro, Le Point, Valeurs Actuelles, Marianne, La Libre Belgigue, Le Soir, De Morgen, Le Temps, Le Matin, Sankei Shinbun, France Culture Radio, France Info Radio, Europe 1 Radio, France Inter, radio Canada, radio Vatican, radio Mditerranne, TV5, France 5, Tlvion Suisse romande

(3) Pierre Rigoulot is also the author of Le Sicle des camps (Latts, 2000) and Les Aquariums de Pyongyang (Robert Laffront, 2000). He can be contacted at the following email address: rigoulotp@aol.com