The history of Cold War North Korea through the five stages of grief | NK News
NK News Logo
December 22, 2024

NK News is hiring

Features

The history of Cold War North Korea through the five stages of grief

The DPRK leadership's failure to unify the country during the Korean War left a deep scar on the national psyche

Everyone experiences loss and grief at some point in their lives. But can nations grieve?

In this article, I argue that North Korea’s seemingly irrational actions during the Cold War era can be explained as collective grief due to Kim Il Sung’s failure to successfully reunify the country during the Korean War. The regime’s failure to do this between 1950 and 1953 left a deep psychological scar on the leadership.

Try unlimited access
Only $1 for four weeks

  • Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis
  • Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period
  • The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop
  • Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns
  • Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting
Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts.
Subscribe now

All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time.