How North Korea became the world’s most reclusive country

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For the past 79 years, North Korea has been ruled by the Kim family dynasty. What started as a communist country has become a secretive nationalist dictatorship handed over from father to son to grandson, ruling over 23 million people who are forbidden access to outside information. North Korea watchers say the main reason for the country’s extreme isolation and aggressive rhetoric is the regime’s extreme paranoia and fear of collapse in a hostile global environment. Pyongyang views its rival South Korea as a constant existential threat. The experts say the North’s political and military developments over the past 30 years have all been responses to the leadership’s push for continued rule.

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[AbdirahmanIdris-kuxm]

A strange fact is North Korea was richer than South Korea as late as 1975. North Korea was backed by 2 communist powers(Soviet Union and China) so they had the advantage over South Korea. However South Korea's choice to lead an export-driven economy by assigning certain industries to certain businesss groups paid off massively as they didn't have to worry about domestic competition

[bangmo]

North Korea is only 300 km from Huludao, the Mecca of the Chinese nuclear submarines. Only 700 km from Beijing. Still China has let NK have nukes and ICBMs. Why?


Only when we apply the most 'cold' geopolitics perspective, we can understand how NK has ended up with what it is now.
It is high time for China to streamline its strategic interest with regard to NK.


Does China want a divided, stable Korean peninsula as the existential buffer? (In this case, the nukes should be scrapped).


Or does China want a nuclear armed 'friend'(or an agent) which can pin down South Korea and the GIs in South Korea and Japan, in the Taiwan-vicinity and/or the South China Sea contingency? (In this case, China needs to protect a nuclear-and-ICBM-armed North Korea)


These two goals are becoming mutually exclusive, very fast. China cannot have both.


The problem is that as South Korea becomes richer and more powerful, and as the K-Wave is widely present in NK, if China tries to scrap the nukes and if the inevitable political instability follows, the potential weakness/volatility of the NK regime cannot adjust itself to this challenge. And more than probably NK spins off the Chinese sphere of influence.


So, in reality, China does not have any choice but to stick to its old strategy: 'Protect the nuclear/ICBM-armed NK no matter how seriously it goes rogue.'


Maybe China missed the window 30 years ago. When the tragic starvation happened and when the nuclear-obsession intensified, China could have chosen regime change. A reunified Korea (led by South Korea) would have become irrevocably pro-China, when China rapidly rose during the period from 1991 to 2017.

[Swissswoosher]

The DMZ being the most fortified border is the ultimate political irony

[luffyland]

Imagine North Korea becomes isolated for 200 yrs like Japan

[easyeasylollol]

I think the most interesting thing is
North Korea already has a mutual defense treaty with China, and now North Korea has a mutual defense treaty with Russia.
so If any country declares war on North Korea in the future, it will be the same as declaring war on the three nuclear-armed powers

[王静怡-pk]

Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us.

[Sjalabais]

"Washington has returned the favor by imposing sanctions on Pyongyang"...that's a beautiful phrasing for an inescapable strategy.

[c_cma]

Hello from Bucharest, Romania - a huge underrated city in Europe:)

[absiddique]

2:09 So that's the reason why U.S can't find oil in North Korea

[GOODKiDMANCiTY]

HOW did they get rid of Gaddafi Saadam & just watched North Korea arm itself 😂 world politics is a joke

[trandyz]

Why does the U.S want every country to follow their don't support nuclear weapons, but from what NATO keep doing around the world, i think that's a fair gamble from the North Korean leader

[autodidactic-ii]

No matter how someone tries to suppressed and denied you, you will prevail

[close_all_tabs]

Imagine how low your life has to be to make you a fanboy for North Korea...

[kevinsm]

They won’t get far the AI revolution which will create a huge gap technology between the countries . The first country to develop AI weapons will rule the world

[Desperate-Drive]

its the most reclusive contry becuase you chinese defended their little dictator and use it as a puppet shape

[raihan]

My condolences to the millions of north korean 🇰🇵 who living under oppression & fear of daily basis under Kim Jong Un Dictatorship which has been supported by the 3vil chinese regime 🇨🇳

[_jameK]

Simple, most of countries do service for people by people. NK do service for first family by first family.

[nearly_epic]

When you see a country take Stalin as a role model, that's when you know things are bad😅

[MasudbekJoraqulov-fdxz]

I think that North Korean elite also began reforms like China's elite. We hope that Economic reforms soon might improve people's life and create private sector and banks in North Korea.

[johnmariustan]

Was worried when I misread scmp as "SCP" in the title lol