Global Research News Hour - Rethinking the North Korean “Collapse Narrative”. The Most Demonized Country Worldwide - 11/03/14

“Ever since the US has lost the war militarily, i.e., signed the Armistice Agreement in July 27, 1953, they’ve instead chosen a war propaganda strategy by mobilizing the whole global media (i.e., their globally-monopolized mainstream media) to demonize(isolate) the North till this very day…This ongoing demonization as war propaganda against “North Korea” has therefore made the world very difficult, if not impossible, ever to learn about this extremely (i.e., probably the worst in that sense) demonized nation on earth. Thus, as a result, in most cases, the world in general does not know about the DPRK at all.” (Report from the DPRK Association for Human Rights Studies, published by 4th Media [1]The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) otherwise known as North Korea is arguably among the most demonized countries in the world.The country has been portrayed as a nuclear threat, a human rights abuser, belligerent and an economic basket case.During the onset of the so-called “War on Terrorism,” US President George W Bush referred to THe DPRK as part of the Axis of Evil.Are the problems facing the Communist country principally a consequence of structural problems with the State itself? Or is it a consequence of sanctions and other measures being imposed  on the population?The Global Research News Hour probes the myths and realities behind the North Korean menace with two analysts.Kiyul Chung is a Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University, Beijing  and the Editor in Chief of 4th Media, an internet-based publication. He has been participating in the Korea’s self-determined and peaceful reunification movement for decades, and he has been to visit North Korea close to one hundred times.Henri Feron is a Ph.D candidate in international law at Tsinghua University, Beijing. He holds an LL.B. in French and English law from Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and King’s College London, as well as an LL.M. in Chinese law from Tsinghua University. On May 5 of this year, he authored an article called, “Doom and Gloom or Economic Boom? The Myth of the “North Korean Economic Collapse.” Feron points to the idea that the collapse narrative is based on faulty data, comprehensive sanctions from the West and the US in particular, and an incentive on the part of the US and its allies to portray this enemy country in the most negative light possible.