• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.21-25
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• 2016

The government of South Korea and its medical personnel must make a way by which health professionals who have escaped from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) can play a positive and practical role in unification and south-north medical unification while south-north authority talks on DPRK public health and medicine manpower development are not going smoothly. Medical personnel escaped from the DPRK have to be recruited for the interviewer of the national examination, to improve the accuracy of national examination interviews. For those medical professionals who have escaped from the DPRK with 6 years' medical college education, but failed the interview on the national examination, we propose here a course of 3.6 months for them to have a right to apply the Korean Medical Licensing Examinations (KMLE). We also propose that medical professionals who have escaped from the DPRK who have graduated from a 6-year medical college in the DPRK and who are medical doctors over the fifth grade or with more than 6 years of experience can be qualified as unification medical doctors and be exempted from the KMLE, getting the right to go directly into an internship and residency. They should be permitted to work in manpower development projects for the health professions. They should also be given opportunities such as to become psychiatrists who treat the mental illness of persons escaped from the DPRK and people from North Korea after unification. Medical students in South Korea should earn college credits on the topic of medical unification and not only students, but all South Korean medical personnel, should prepare for north-south medical unification with an open mind. A way for each medical college to participate in DPRK manpower development for the health professions through a memorandum of understanding between the medical colleges of the south and north.

• Analyses & Alternatives
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.107-125
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• 2018

This paper aims to elucidate the historical significance and issues about DPRK-Japan relations in terms of the Korean Peninsula-Japan relations. The first issue is the 'Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea', and DPRK-Japan relations during the Cold War. The Relations Order between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, of 1965 ("65 Order), was closely linked with inter-Korean relations. The second issue is a critical re-interpretation of previous studies on the Stockholm agreement. Previous studies have focused on analyzing the question "Why did North Korea and Japan agree to Stockholm?", In other words, what was the intention of North Korea and Japan in Stockholm? This paper adds to raise the question of "How Did the Stockholm can be agreed?", to critically review the analysis performed by the previous studies. Through the analysis of this question, this paper reveals that the relationship between North Korea and Japan is on the qualitative change. And, based on this analysis, this paper argue that the South Korean government should attempt more active engagement and deploy more comprehensive approach to improve the relationship between North Korea and Japan.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.275-284
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• 2017

The food situation in North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK) has been in difficulty situation because of a shortage of energy, and of raw materials such as fertilizer and agricultural chemicals. The international agricultural aid programs can alleviate some difficulties in the agricultural areas, but the policies and measures in North Korea can not help difficulties in the agriculture due to the institutional obstacles enforced by DPRK. The arable area of DPRK is approximately $20,000km^2$, of which $14,000km^2$ is well for cereal cultivation. Fertilizer supplies in recent years between 700,000 and 750,000 tons annually were less than 50% of the normal requirement. Also, North Korea strongly needed to inject phosphorus fertilizer and lime to increase the fertility. Soil degradation in DPRK was characterized by physical and chemical changes caused by rapid loss of clay particles and organic matter. Intensive ploughing and tilling to grow crops may lead to massive soil degradation and declining yields. Although farmers in the DPRK have faced numerous challenges, not least of which are soil erosion, scarce inputs and extreme weather like drought, flooding and cold spells. Therefore farmers should be encouraged to adopt more environmentally sound cropping practices, to access quality seeds and planting materials and to reduce losses after the harvest.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.40-63
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• 2015

Anthracite exports have special value within the DPRK's economy. In this paper, we focus on what determines the DPRK's anthracite exports to China. We use panel data consisting of cross-section data from 30 provinces in China and quarterly time-series data from 1998 to 2013. Controlling for all other variables that affect anthracite imports, the variable for steel production in China is robust and statistically significant. This is consistent with on-site interviews which indicate that much of North Korean anthracite is consumed by China's steel industry. This implies that the North Korean authorities need to make adjustments to the foreign trade structure, as the import demand for anthracite in China may decline further.

• Proceedings of the Korea Information Processing Society Conference
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• 2012.11a
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• pp.1702-1705
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• 2012

North-South Korean information technology(IT) terminologies are going to be gradually changed differently as the time is flowed. In accordance with the age of advanced information science and technology, the IT terminologies should be mutually identified and confirmed on the basis of ISO2382 Korean standardization being set up for the international IT terminologies made by the scholars both Republic of Korea(ROK) and Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea(DPRK). In the present study, the results of mutual efforts on IT standardization since 1994 has been firstly analyzed systematically for the advanced North-South Korean IT terminology. Secondly, the differences of the IT terminologies used currently in both ROK and DPRK have been also analyzed and classified in the three categories. Thirdly, the current IT terminologies used in both ROK and DPRK have been summarized on the basis of "Encyclopedia of 21 Century Computer Terminology." Fourth, it has been finally set up the construction scheme of conceptual system on compiling operations for the dictionary of North-South Korean IT terminologies.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.5-16
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• 2000

This study compared the meaning of words in the play songs of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea(DPRK). Sixteen children who had escaped from North Korea participated in this survey in Seoul by responding to a questionnaire. In the DPRK, children sing formal songs, used as instruments of ideological socialization. Among the songs were 4 composed prior to the creation of the DPRK in 1945. The other songs were composed after 1945 and exhibited ideological characteristics. Despite differences in sources, themes, and ideologies of play songs, some of them contained common themes, materials, rhythms, and typical Korean emotional structure. Considering the power of play songs in spreading cultural influence, they might be the key to resolving psychological conflicts of both Koreas after unification.

• Journal of the Korean Professional Engineers Association
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.10-22
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• 2005

This paper describes possible solutions among others how to transmit the power technically for the South Korea's 'important proposal', offering 2 million kilowatts of electric power to North Korea. Two authors present their personal opinions respectively; Mr. C. I. Nahm in the first part deals the subject on "the Status of Power Industry in DPRK and Proposed Scheme to supply 2GW Electric Power to DPRK" and in the second part Dr. Rimtaig Lee expresses his ideas on 'the Mid-Long Term Plan to solve the Power Shortage in DPRK'.

• Maritime Security
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.45-72
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• 2021

North Korea's cyber capabilities represent a relatively new threat to global financial institutions and foreign governments, particularly the U.S and South Korean governments. Based primarily on publicly available sources, such as journalistic accounts and scholarly publications, this qualitative paper analyzes the ways in which North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has bolstered his country's asymmetric power and advanced his line of byungjin (dual development in the economy and military). Particularly by merging the cyber and maritime domains, North Korean operatives generate more revenue for the regime and helps keep the heavily sanctioned leadership in power. Despite the increased international attention to North Korean hackers, few analysts have examined the important role of cyber in the DPRK's internal political culture, specifically in advancing Kim Jong Un's byungjin line. Cyber fits into the DPRK's longstanding tradition of irregular warfare and guerilla-based armed struggle. Cyber also further advances Kim's personal reputation in the DPRK as an economic innovator and military strategist. This paper pays particular attention to the role of the DPRK's cyber operations in both ideological and maritime contexts. Recently, North Korean hackers have targeted South Korean shipbuilding industries and developed a blockchain scam, known as Marine Chain. North Korean cyber agents have increasingly paid attention to the nexus of cyber and maritime domains in their activities.

• Strategy21
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• s.46
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• pp.29-56
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• 2020

Despite the deep concerns against the DPRK and the harsh sanctions imposed on it, the country renders the sanctions futile by facilitating various illegal trades such as the ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum or coal. Recently, the international community went into paying attention to solve this matter. Among the measures the community can take, "reinforcing the search and inspection of the DPRK related vessels transiting in the high and territorial seas" is the best policy approach to reduce the sanction evasion and provide the international community with considerable bargaining advantages. This measure requires the forceful action by legal enforcement agencies, also known as VBSS. (Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure) It would make the deals prohibited by the UNSCRs (United Nation Security Council Resolutions) less profitable by reducing the expected return on the deals and increasing the cost for them. So, it would make the illegal deals under the table less attractive. The DPRK has been able to render the sanctions futile by exploiting the limitations of the current maritime sanctions. The resolutions are short of being specific about law enforcement, and the PSI (Proliferation Security Initiative) is legally nonbinding. However, if the UNSCRs and the PSI are combined, they can generate a new source of power and exploit the weakness of the DPRK. Noting that the recent UNSCRs stipulated all the legal discussions in the resolutions are confined and applied only to the DPRK, the PSI can target the commercial trade as well as the WMD-related materials in the case of the DPRK's illegal maritime practices. Therefore, the PSI endorsing partners should go beyond mere commitments. They should discuss action plans to implement the maritime interdictions to the extent that they discourage the DPRK and its business partners continuing the illegal activities.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.265-273
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• 2016

Objectives: This study compared the nutritional status of child-bearing age women between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). Methods: The data presented in the DPRK Final Report of the National Nutrition Survey 2012 was utilized for the nutritional status and food intake of North Korean women. To produce the South Korean women's data comparable to those of North Korean women, the data from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey were analyzed and the data presented in the 2010 Report of the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards were utilized. Results: The prevalence of maternal anemia (blood hemoglobin < 12.0 g/dL) was over 30% in all the age groups of North Korean women and 8.9%, 14.2%, 16.4% in 20-29, 30-39, 40-49 year old South Korean women, respectively. The prevalence of maternal protein-energy malnutrition (Mid-Upper Arm Circumference < 22.5 cm) was 25.2%, 21.4%, 21.8% in 20-29, 30-39, 40-49 year old North Korean women, respectively and less than 10% in all the age groups of South Korean women. Result of dietary diversity comparison showed that North Korean women consumed less food than South Korean women at all food groups: grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy. Percentage of North Korean women having consumed protein rich foods-meat and fish, eggs or dairy products-were much lower than those of South Korean women. Conclusions: The striking disparity of nutritional status between South and North Korean women indicates that nutrition support for North Korean women is essential in the process of preparation for a unified nation.