Google's Sunshine Policy?

By Jason Lim

When the first Barack Obama administration came into power, North Korea launched a long-range rocket, conducted its second nuclear bomb test, and declared the Korean War armistice null and void. When Obama was re-elected for a second term in November, the North launched another long-range rocket and, according to many experts, is likely to conduct a third nuclear test.

Oh, and we shouldn’t forget that this year it invited the chairman of Google to visit.

It certainly was a curious decision for Google’s chairman, the Zeus of the Internet pantheon, to visit North Korea, which can be described as the Hades of freedom (not) of the press, on Wednesday. Justifiably, media reports have been speculating on what Eric Schmidt’s personal reasons were to go to North Korea. But I think an even more interesting question is how can Google align its self-stated mission as a leader of free speech on the Internet by having a presence in North Korea?

We can explore this by quickly examining Korean history.

In the last 2,000 years of its 5,000 year history, Korea has been invaded by foreign forces more than 1,000 times, an average of once every two years. For 36 years in early 20th century, Korea was subjected to brutal treatment by Imperial Japan. In 1950, the communist North invaded South Korea to begin a fratricidal war that lasted over 3 years and killed more than 2 million Koreans, leaving the country the poorest on earth.

As a result of such a bloody history, Korea has developed a sense of nationalism that is defensive rather than expansionist, bringing people together in a tight shell to ensure survival against foreign threats. This is especially true of North Korea. And for the last 60 years, it has amplified this defensive nationalism to paranoid levels by defining the United States as the main foreign threat to the nation’s survival.

In view of such national character, one has to conclude that external pressure, however onerous, will not force North Korea to implode. Rather the pressure will provide the impetus for the North to become even more cohesive and insular around a supreme leader.

This was the rationale behind the South’s implementation of the Sunshine Policy of engagement. It was based on the premise that open, market oriented economies produce abundant economic growth. And economic growth directly translates into improvements in human rights, democratic freedom, and quality of life. We see democracies that cannot sustain economic growth are unstable and remain susceptible to extreme and reactionary elements.

Since external pressure does not work and we cannot pry open North Korea by force without risking a catastrophic war, the Sunshine Policy sought to gently encourage the North ― through a series of engagement and trust building activities (not to mention flooding the country with easy capital) ― to gradually open itself to the proven advantages of a market oriented economy.

Today, more North Koreans are aware of the outside world and realize that China and South Korea are much richer and more dynamic societies that theirs. Official propaganda that used to say otherwise is no match for the information inflow that has swept the market. I realize that you can’t solely credit the Sunshine Policy for this expansion of general awareness. However, you can’t dismiss its effects either.

Perhaps Google can take up the Sunshine Policy’s mantle and take it to the next level. I am not exactly sure how Google would define its operations in North Korea (or even be invited to) but the mere fact of its presence will make a difference. Even if it consists of Google providing free Internet access to everyone in North Korea, albeit with heavy state censorship, it would be a game changer. In fact, it doesn’t even need to be an operational presence. If it’s just providing free consultation to the North Korean leadership on how to build an Internet infrastructure to suit its needs, Google would at least have a seat at the table.

Of course, the next critical question becomes why North Korea would do anything that might subvert their status quo.

Easy. Despite the triumphant rhetoric over the rocket launch, the country is still facing economic failure, international isolation, a food shortage crisis, an outdated conventional weapons stockpile, and a loss of its own people’s trust leading to the erosion of the leadership’s mandate to govern. Selling mineral rights to China and outsourcing labor for hard currency will only work so long to prop up the economy. Even North Korea needs to develop new industries in line with current global demand.

In short, it is starting to realize that it needs to step into the 21st century to survive. So, why not start with Google, one of the most successful 21st century companies, to tell them how? I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tim Cook in Pyongyang in the near future.

Jason Lim is a Washington, D.C., based expert on innovation, engagement and organizational culture. He has been writing for The Korea Times since 2006. He can be reached at jasonlim@msn.com, facebook/jasonlim2000 and @jasonlim2012.