Since the mid-20th century, North Korea’s domestic politics have centered on the idea that the whole world is out to get them, and therefore they must be fiercely independent from outside influence. Openly asking for international aid would be like admitting defeat against all their political enemies, real and imagined. Nobody in power is going to do that.
This. Their entire system of authoritarian control depends on it. The people are brainwashed into believing it’s true and if cracks start to appear in the facade, the government could (and definitely would for NK) quickly lose control of the people. The regime would be toppled.
Are civilians really brainwashed and think it’s true though? Or are they just like regular people and deal with it while getting through the daily grind?
The authoritarian ruler maintains control when enough people are brainwashed. See the current situation in the USA as an example. It’s not necessarily even the majority, but enough to maintain and enforce power.
You make a good point there.
There is a large amount of state propaganda using the conflict as justification for the state’s existence. I would imagine whether people believe to be true or not to be on a spectrum line other countries.
So OP nailed it lol
But they could do it and not tell the people.
It might not be that easy to keep it a secret
It’s simple, the people who need help are not in charge. Those who are in control, benefit from the horrible situation they put everyone else through. The entire country thinks the kims are gods.
Edit: not the entire country but that’s the dogma and it’s heavily enforced.
A handful of ultra-rich people would lose a little bit of power and their entire social structure would collapse. That country won’t open back up without tremendous suffering, especially as long as the rich people in power stay rich and powerful by keeping things the way they are.
Similar to everywhere else.
NK is run by A Supreme Leader Kim Jung Un.
Kim’s title is Supreme Leader and he is a brutal dictator who was raised and educated in Switzerland. He is at least 100 pounds overweight and has everything he could ever want. The only help he wants is figuring out who in his government is a threat to his power. Kim once had a political opponent killed by having him shot with an anti-aircraft gun.
Kim has 30 millions slaves who provide Kim and the ruling class with everything they want.
They got a bunch of aid back in the 90s fwiw https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990s_North_Korean_famine
They already get lots of money without admitting their system sucks.
You assume those in charge are interested in helping out the average citizen, they aren’t.
the ones in power are probably quite well off there, so from their point of view the country would be working perfectly.
It’s been a while, but there used to be a joke that whenever NK needed an aid package, they would fire off a missile. This was in the years before the world went bugfuck right wing crazy
The leadership would not stay in power if they did that.
Juche. That’s why. A fucked, corrupt and nihilistic interpretation of Juche.
