What Does Kim Jong Un Want?
North Korea is hidden in the shadows of secrets, borders, and obscure relationships. So much has happened since the end of the Korean War and undeniably, these events have made a huge mark on East Asian foreign policy in the past few decades.
With the Kim regime controlling the country with an iron fist, North Korea saw many human rights violations. But what is all the bloodshed and suffering for? What is Kim Jong Un’s goal?
Essentially, Kim Jong Un’s goal is to remain in power. In order to do so, he ramps up North Korean military capacities, most notably in the army and nuclear warfare, and attempts to revitalize the long-damaged domestic economy. Accomplishing these would, in a sense, justify his authority and power. However, this has proven difficult with the government’s standing Juche ideology; because they are isolated from most of the world, they do not have the ability or resources to maintain a highly efficient nation on par with 1st world countries, such as South Korea and the US.
The desire to maintain power is seen in every dictatorship, but what makes Kim Jong Un different from other authoritarians? What the North Korean government truly wants is “political respect and status as an independent, sovereign state.” Ever since the Korean War, they have followed, as mentioned previously, the Juche ideology and adopted socialism. However, instead of accepting the reality, foreign countries often rejected their ideals. Other governments often look down upon and villainze North Korea when in fact, North Korea just wants to be recognized as a legitimate country.
Sydney P.