With the conditions for North Korean democratization still unripe, one expert has moved to ponder whether the activities of those pushing for an immediate uprising might actually be putting a block on progress.
Cheong Seong Chang, a research fellow with the Sejong Institute, made the comment in an event sponsored by the North Korea Strategic Information Service Center (NKSIS) yesterday.
“Inciting the people to revolt at a time when conditions are not in any way ripe for it could be irresponsible,” he said.
He continued, “The conditions in North Korea are not yet sufficiently ripe to democratize over a short period. There is the need to consider whether a few NGOs sending leaflets to North Korea wanting to instigate an immediate uprising is the best way forward at this stage.”
“If an anti-Kim Jong Il movement spreads, not only the movement itself but also their families and relatives will become targets of unavoidable terror and extreme repression,” he pointed out, adding, “The conditions for a democratic revolution need to be right. If not, it is very clear that the uprising would be ruthlessly crushed and the residents of North Korea would be sacrificed.”
Instead, Cheong said he wants to see more careful efforts employed, noting, “At this point, it is best to slowly and steadfastly prepare the people of North Korea, and at the ‘critical period’ organize an uprising to establish and shape a form of democratic government.”
“Defectors who left their families in North Korea need to play a central role,” he expanded, noting, “The South Korean government needs to support the reformists and connect them to other groups inside of North Korea to help them expand.”
Thereafter, he said, “If the elite in North Korea are cooperative towards opening and reform, the South Korean government and its people need to embrace their joining a new democratic government.”
