Respect your elders... or not: ageism in North Korean mass culture



Evergreen Respect your elders… or not: ageism in North Korean mass culture Portrayals of the elderly have changed over the decades, and according to the political needs of the leadership Tatiana Gabroussenko May 20, 2020 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON NK News Ideologically induced biases against and in favor of particular age groups have been a stable part of North Korean culture since the country's very beginning. North Korean ageism has vacillated between two opposites: the disparaging of older people as alleged bearers of outdated mentalities while holding up the progressive youth, and the devaluation of the young for lacking the mountains of wisdom and loyalty of the elderly. Ideologically induced biases against and in favor of particular age groups have been a stable part of North Korean culture since the country's very beginning. North Korean ageism has vacillated between two opposites: the disparaging of older people as alleged bearers of outdated mentalities while holding up the progressive youth, and the devaluation of the young for lacking the mountains of wisdom and loyalty of the elderly. Become a member for less than $5.75 per week. Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis 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. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

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Respect your elders… or not: ageism in North Korean mass culture

Portrayals of the elderly have changed over the decades, and according to the political needs of the leadership

Tatiana Gabroussenko May 20, 2020

Respect your elders… or not: ageism in North Korean mass culture

NK News

Ideologically induced biases against and in favor of particular age groups have been a stable part of North Korean culture since the country's very beginning.

North Korean ageism has vacillated between two opposites: the disparaging of older people as alleged bearers of outdated mentalities while holding up the progressive youth, and the devaluation of the young for lacking the mountains of wisdom and loyalty of the elderly.

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Respect your elders… or not: ageism in North Korean mass culture

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Tatiana Gabroussenko

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