Hwang Jang Yop wrote enthusiastically during his life about his philosophy, the reality of North Korea and ways to deal with the Kim Jong Il regime, finishing more than 20 books in the 13 years since he defected to South Korea in 1997 up until his passing this morning.
[imText2]Besides “Memoirs” (The Zeitgeist, 2006), he wrote philosophical books such as “Several Matters about Human-centered Philosophy” (The Zeitgeist, 2003), through which he completed the foundations of his philosophy; “I Saw the Truth of History” (Hanul Books, 1999), in which he testified to the reality and nature of the North Korean regime; “North Korean Democratization and Democratic Strategy” (The Zeitgeist, 2008), through which Hwang suggested ways to democratize North Korea; and “The Truth and Deceit of North Korea” (The Zeitgeist, 2006), which shed light on the inhumane nature of the North Korean regime from a philosophical standpoint. [imText3]
As a philosopher, Hwang tried to focus on the brutal nature of the North Korean regime from the philosophical aspect and accordingly suggesting strategies for democratization, rather than revealing the Kim Jong Il regime and its leadership’s shameful stories.
His ideas have since become important strategies on North Korea, such as, “We should distinguish the people from the Kim Jong Il leadership, so we have to have a pro-North Korean people policy,” and, “We should solve North Korean issues by separating the Kim regime from China with a strong alliance with the U.S.”
[imText1]Through his “Memoirs,” he explained how he created the Juche Idea and the process by which Kim Il Sung used it for the idolization of his dictatorship system.
Additionally, Hwang described his agony as an intellectual who witnessed the March of Tribulation in the 1990s, saying, “In this situation, continuing to follow Kim Jong Il was obviously committing an unforgivable sin before history and the nation.”
He added, “Seeing Kim Jong Il engrossed in preparing a war while leaving people to starve to death, I could not stand it and had no choice but think of things in a different way.”
He described what he experienced and was tormented by during several historical events; liberation from Japanese colonial rule; the establishment of a communist state; Kim Jong Il’s birth; the collapse of socialism; Kim Il Sung’s death, the great famine and his defection.[imText4]
Through “Democratic Political Philosophy” (The Zeitgeist, 2005), Hwang pointed out the fundamental errors in the basic theories of Marxism and suggested ways to overcome the illusion of socialism and communism, emphasizing, “Democracy is a basic characteristic of future societies.”
Considering his life-long activities, he was not a mere whistle-blower, but a scholar and adviser who encouraged the South Korean people to awaken to the world ideologically and have the correct awareness about North Korea.
The following is a list of his books since his defection to South Korea;
[imText5]I Saw the Truth of the History (Hanul Books, 1999); Sunshine Siding with Darkness Cannot Beat Darkness (Monthly Chosun, 2001); World Democratization and the Last War of Human Beings (The Zeitgeist, 2002); National Life More Precious than Individual’s Life (The Zeitgeist, 2002); Several Matters about the Human-centered Philosophy (The Zeitgeist, 2003); Democratic Political Philosophy (The Zeitgeist, 2005); The Truth and Deceit of North Korea (The Zeitgeist, 2006); Dialectical Strategy and Tactics Theory (The Zeitgeist, 2006); Hwang Jang Yop’s Memoirs (The Zeitgeist, 2006); Philosophy for Youths (The Zeitgeist, 2007); Human-centered Philosophy Principles (The Zeitgeist, 2008); North Korean Democratization and Democratic Strategy (The Zeitgeist, 2008); Dialectics and Dialectic Strategy and Tactics (The Zeitgeist, 2009); Democracy and Communism (The Zeitgeist, 2009); Logic (The Zeitgeist, 2010); Human-centered Philosophy – Outlook on the World; Human-centered Philosophy – Outlook on History, and Human-centered Philosophy – Outlook on Life (The Zeitgeist, 2010).
