Legitimation In North Korea. Foreign Policy As A Strategy To Legitimize The Kims?

This paper addresses a theoretical and an empirical question. First, the paper argues that general theories of comparative analysis of political systems can indeed be used to study the "special case" of North Korea. This addresses the question of how to conduct research on the "hermit kingdom". By using an established framework deductively, the paper proposes a way to conduct research on North Korea amid a lack of reliable data.

North Korea is thereby seen as an extreme case of an autocracy in order that however, enables researchers to observe special structural features more explicitly than in autocracies. The implicit argument here is that North Korea is comparable to other autocracies and only varies in the strength of certain characteristics such as regime type or internal dynamics. Second, the paper investigates empirically whether autocracies use foreign policy for internal legitimation and if so, what strategies are they pursuing? This paper argues that autocrats can basically use four strategies to use foreign policy as a source of legitimation. Making use of a framework developed by Kneuer the case of North Korea is examined to illustrate the argument.

A within-case analysis is used to investigate the extent to which each of the three Kims used foreign policy as a means of generating legitimation. The results suggest that all three used similar strategies but depending on their respective legitimation deficits. Overall, it is advocated to take a closer look at the influence of foreign policy on domestic dynamics. This has so far been largely neglected. This becomes particularly evident when it comes to the question of the possibilities for North Korean denuclearization. Viewed as a domestic legitimation measures, it becomes more questionable whether North Korea will abandon its weapons anytime soon.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Theoretical framework
  • The North Korean regime
  • Legitimation in North Korea
  • Foreign policy as a legitimation strategy for autocratic regimes (Kneuer 2013)
  • Applicability to North Korea
• Methodology & Data
• Empirical Analysis
  • Foreign patron as source of legitimation
  • Transfer of external to internal legitimacy deficits
  • The formulation of external performance goals for internal legitimation generation
  • Externalization of domestic legitimacy deficits
• Conclusion and discussion
• Table of Figures
• Appendix
• Literature

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper examines the theoretical and empirical question of whether general theories of comparative analysis of political systems can be applied to the study of North Korea, particularly within the context of its foreign policy and its impact on regime legitimacy. It seeks to explore the extent to which foreign policy serves as a tool for internal legitimation in autocracies, specifically focusing on the case of North Korea.

• The applicability of comparative political systems theories to the study of North Korea
• The role of foreign policy in autocratic regime legitimacy
• The specific strategies employed by autocrats to use foreign policy for internal legitimation
• The influence of foreign policy on domestic dynamics in North Korea
• The potential implications for North Korean denuclearization

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The paper begins by introducing the theoretical framework of Kneuer (2013), which posits that autocratic regimes can employ various strategies to use foreign policy for domestic legitimation. It explores the characteristics of the North Korean regime, specifically its position as a largely totalitarian state with elements of personalism. The paper then delves into the concept of legitimation in North Korea, highlighting its significance for regime stability and its interplay with the dynamics of the North Korean regime, particularly its leadership cult, the military, and the Korean Labor Party.

The empirical analysis investigates the strategies employed by the three Kim leaders in using foreign policy as a source of legitimacy. The analysis examines the role of foreign patrons in providing legitimacy, the transfer of external legitimacy deficits to the domestic sphere, the formulation of external performance goals for internal legitimation generation, and the externalization of domestic legitimacy deficits. The chapter provides insights into how these strategies have contributed to the regime's resilience.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The paper focuses on key themes including autocratic regimes, legitimation strategies, foreign policy, North Korea, Kim family, regime stability, totalitarian regimes, personalism, comparative politics, and denuclearization. It delves into the use of foreign policy as a tool for domestic legitimation in autocracies, with specific emphasis on the North Korean context.

Details

• College: University of Heidelberg
• Grade: 1,3
• Author: Julian Klose (Author)
• Publication Year: 2020
• Pages: 34
• Catalog Number: V977820
• ISBN (eBook): 9783346330963
• ISBN (Book): 9783346330970
• Language: English
• Tags: North Korea FOREIGN POLICY LEGITIMATION NUCLEAR WEAPONS