Dr. Syed Nesar Ahmad Rumy :
In the present world, all countries are interdependent. Countries which keep themselves isolated are facing many problems.
The North Korea is the burning example in this context.
Gradually the people of North Korea are facing hardships, famine and food shortages.
As we know from world media that North Koreans are involved in website hackings and it seems hackers do this with the active consent of their authority.
What is truth in this is still unclear. But it came to the world media that the hackers of North Korea were involved somehow in Bangladesh reserve hacking happened in the US federal bank.
But the military might of North Korea is commendable.
They have one of the biggest armed forces in Asia and as well in the present world and they possess missile technology and atomic bombs.
The geographical location of DPRK is such that it can send missiles to Japan, China, South Korea and Russian federation and Hawaii islands of United States.
China and Russia are the only friendly countries of DPRK that is North Korea.
No customized democracy, no liberalism prevails in those countries.
How government change in those countries is very much unclear to the liberal world.
In the early fifties of last century, the famous Korean War occurred.
As from the history we know under the then North Korean leader Kim II Sung, North Korea invaded South Korea of that peninsula with the active support of China and the then Soviet Union.
On the other side Southerners did get support from USA and some other western countries.
That was the time of active cold war.
After invading, North Koreans occupied all most all parts of South Korea including Seoul except a tiny part of south and south-eastern port city Busan.
Later South Korean force and US marine recaptured whole of South Korean land demarcated in 1945 Potsdam conference and both parties came to an armistice to stop fighting in Korean peninsula.
As a result of that armistice Korean peninsula was divided permanently on the parallel of 38 degrees.
For Korean War both parties had to pay heavy price.
Hundreds of thousand US, Western, South Korean and Chines forces were killed in that war.
Moreover, millions of Koreans of the both part were killed and displaced.
After 70 years’ Korean War the people of North Korea are still fighting against starvation, famine like situation and other economic crisis.
Whereas southern part, the South Korea have developed much and is considered one of the strongest economies in the present day world.
All these achievements could not ensure peace, welfare, economic solvency of the people of North Korea.
So what is the benefit of North Korea to do all such things by an authoritarian rule? The events and situations in North Korea are the symptoms of artificial social strength of North Korea.
It seems the strength and capability of North Korea is very much fragile and artificial.
In this rule (generation after generation) North Korean leaders uphold the idea of “Jucheism”.
This Jucheism introduced in North Korea was the brainchild of the former leader Late Kim ll Sung.
The literal meaning of Jucheism is self-reliance and autonomy.
If this ism is the causes of sufferings, starvations, uncreativeness of the people then what is the benefit to uphold such obsolete ideas in the present day world? Maybe the meaning/explanation of self-reliance and autonomy to the leaders of North Korea is different from what we people understand in democratic and moderate world.
In reality DPRK people are suffering from starvations, economic insolvency and low agricultural production.
On the other hand, ROK, the South Korea is completely different than North Korea.
Presently South Korea is a country of 1st world and a leading economic power of the world.
After several years of military rule ROK is now practicing democracy.
In the path of democracy and liberalism many former leaders were sent to jail for the indictment of corruptions.
But all these are done in the environment of democracy.
Now North Korea is completely an isolated country.
Going against the current of world-orders does not make any good to North Koreans.
Korean peninsula was united before 2nd world war under Japanese occupation many years.
Japanese were brute and rude to Korean people and they repressed Koreans in the then time.
Japanese brutality and repression are still vivid in the mind of both part of Korean people.
South Korea now maintains equal and friendly relation with Japan.
Living standard of South Korea is now parallel to Japan whereas keeping egoistic views and undemocratic path North Korea is still fighting for economic emancipations in the environment of starvations, poverty and low agricultural production.
Hope one-day North Korean leadership will understand the reality and follow the path of democracy for the wellbeing of people.
(The writer is a former civil servant).
