“Can a Dictator Make Peace? Text-Analysis of North Korean Propaganda on America”

• In Event: Censorship, Dissent and Legitimation under Autocracy

Abstract

What are North Korea’s intentions towards the US? Are they inherently belligerent, or does North Korea simply seek security and bear no ill-feeling towards America? More specifically, was North Korea committed to cooperating with America under the Agreed Framework, has North Korea developed nuclear weapons to deter or attack America, and was Kim Jong Un serious about a deal with President Trump? We address these questions through text-analysis of North Korean propaganda on America and American leaders during Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un’s tenures. The paper makes three main contributions. First, it contributes to research on authoritarianism by analyzing internal regime documents to better understand leader intentions in closed-off regimes. Second, it feeds into debates about whether North Korea is a rational actor. Third, the paper contains important policy implications; following the failures of the Six Party Talks, strategic patience, and maximum pressure, it is imperative that policymakers better understand North Korea’s and Kim Jong Un’s intentions to engineer more successful policy outcomes.

Authors

• Edward Goldring, York University

• Ji Yeon (Jean) Hong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology