The world does not understand North Korea. The only nation that understands North Korea is Vietnam.
North Korea and Vietnam went through the same experience.
Both tried to unite the country. Vietnam succeeded but North Korea failed. History is written by the winners. Vietnam is now hailed by the world as a brave and resilient people while North Korea is considered a pariah.
But Vietnam was also considered a pariah, isolated and considered as a threat. Until 1990s, it was sanctioned by the world. Southeast Asian nations such as Singapore and Thailand seriously considered Vietnam as a threat to regional peace. Vietnamese could import international goods through the black market only. People forget what this period was like. Called the rationing period, people were given food by the government, often only a few grams of meat. Today, there are themed restaurants in Hanoi that will take you through some of these memories:
There was a time when the government banned people writing love songs, because they make people weak. Does this sound familiar? However I dare say that without the heavy propaganda and iron fisted rule of North Vietnam, Vietnam would never be a united country today. Believe it or not, psychology is a very powerful thing.
Ultimately both North Korea and Vietnam wanted to unite the country. South Korea and South Vietnam are and were pro American governments set up to strengthen American power in the region. South Korea was also very corrupted and disfunctional, just like South Vietnam. However its government was overthrown and replaced by the dictatorship of Park Sunghye, who implemented economic strategies to turn it into a regional power.
North Korea does not trust China, just like Vietnam. That is why they removed Chinese soldiers in North Korea right after the war. Both North Korea and Vietnam have the same kind of historical relationship with China. Despite having to rely on China, Kim Jong Un is visibly rebelling against China . China has a very hard time controlling what North Korea does. And the only nation that understands this act of balancing is Vietnam.
Another thing people don’t understand is the unique culture of this region, historically influenced by ancient Chinese practices. Historically people seriously worshipped the leaders. The Kings or Emperors were considered sons of heaven. And they reached this position usually because they have defeated a foreign power or have done something heroic. Vietnamese love and respect Ho Chi Minh since he liberated Vietnam from French colonialism. There are temples for every historic heroes in Vietnam and people lit incense for them every year. Most foreigners can not understand this concept. They think the Kim’s family is a cult. Well I’m not in the position to say this is true or not. However from the Vietnamese perspective, I can understand where they are coming from.
North Korea is like Vietnam in the 80s and 90s, struggling to be accepted and struggling to push the country forward. Its people are suffering unnecessarily with economic sanction. People are demonizing it out of fear. However it’s because they just don’t understand it.
North Korea naturally feels at ease and sees Vietnam as a model, more than China.
Even in the recent US North Korea Summit, you could see it in Kim Jong Un’s body language. He was much more relaxed and happy when beginning his official visit to Vietnam than with either US or China.
CVD 