[INTERVIEW] Don't be duped by double-faced North Korea

Jang Jin-sung, right, speaks at the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center in Seoul. / Courtesy of Casey Lartigue Jr.

Jang Jin-sung, author of the best-selling book "Dear Leader: My Escape from North Korea," was a psychological warfare officer with the North Korean regime before he made a dramatic escape from the country in 2004. He is a sought-after lecturer and analyst who has advised people and governments around the world about North Korea. He shared some of his thoughts about North Korea's recent diplomatic efforts and internal changes in an interview for the "Voices from the North" blog.

Q: What do you think about Kim Jong-Un's recent overtures to global leaders?

A: Kim Jong-Un is focused on external relationships in order to strengthen his internal position. To understand Kim Jong-Un's strategy, it is important to have a good understanding about the internal changes occurring and threats to his leadership because of the development of markets there. A lot of the focus is on the nuclear program and how that is threatening the world, but the market is a threat to the power of the elite. Like his father, Kim Jong-Un can't control the market or keep it from expanding as North Korea is going through a transition from the bottom-up. If the market collapses, the country could collapse.

People in North Korea have changed. In the past, they were begging for rice, crumbs, anything they could get from the government to survive another day. After they survived the famine, their expectations went up. They realized they could feed themselves. If the government ever tries to distribute rations as it did in the past, people would expect to eat meat, not just rice. The government realizes expectations have gone up, that it can no longer be the savior of the people. How can it prove that it is still relevant? By engaging with global leaders to give people a stable feeling. In the long run, this will be dangerous for the government because people's expectations continue going up, and they may eventually start a revolution.

Q: You mentioned the internal changes and their impact on people. What about the elites? Are they on board with Kim Jong-Un's strategy?

A: Until 2004, I was part of the elite. We knew that things were going down. But we still knew we had to praise Kim Jong-Il publicly. Among ourselves, if someone praised him, then we would look at each other in a funny way: "Is he kidding? He can stop acting now."

Individually, we had started to question Kim Jong-Il's God-like state. We couldn't protest because the system does not allow safe dissent.

Look at someone like Thae Yong-ho (the former North Korean deputy ambassador who escaped from the United Kingdom). When he was within North Korea's system, he would criticize refugees and other countries. After he escaped in 2016, he could speak honestly, and began criticizing the North Korean system. The problem was the system controlling people's words and even their thoughts. So the elite must go along to get along, they will do their best to survive within the system or escape when they can't stand it anymore.

Q: What is the impact of US President Trump saying nice things about Kim Jong-Un?

A: It is really helpful for the North Korean government's strategy. They are still spreading propaganda, and they can now even quote President Trump praising Kim Jong-Un on multiple occasions. The government has a two-pronged strategy. On the one hand, it is showing a smiling face to the outside world. Internally, it has gotten even more ruthless in controlling people's movements, blocking outside information, shutting down the border.

It looks like President Trump is praising this internal crackdown with his pleasant words about Kim Jong-Un. Americans look so naive in praising Kim Jong-Un, they don't realize that this is making things worse for North Koreans. As I said, the government can't control the market, but this praise of Kim Jong-Un internationally is being used to strengthen his position at a time that he is weak.

U.S. President Trump and other world leaders are focused on nuclear weapons, but there are other ways to undermine North Korea that should be part of the negotiations. Trump should push North Korea to allow North Koreans the right to travel, or the right to use the Internet. That is the kind of thing that is a real threat to North Korea.

If North Koreans can have access to the Internet, then North Korea would collapse within three days. North Korea is trying to look like it is changing, but that change is only happening at the government level.

Q: The question that so many people ask: Is Kim Jong-Un going to give up his nuclear weapons?

A: No. Many people are afraid of North Korea having weapons, but no other countries need to fear that North Korea will ever use them. The purpose is to maintain the regime, not to attack others. It is a poorly managed country, even the leaders and elite know their dictatorship is not normal. They want the nuclear weapon because it gives other countries a reason to talk to them.

They feel they have accomplished what they wanted by developing a nuclear weapon. They have shown the world what they can do. Now they are ready to talk from that position of strength, not to use the weapons on anyone. They know they would be destroyed if they did.

Q: Now, a personal question: What is something that you have learned since you came to South Korea that is also relevant to the situations of other refugees?

A: One key thing: If I do my best, then I can have a successful life. The North Korean government controls lives. In North Korea, your definition of success is based on the government's definition of success. Individuality is stripped away from people at birth.

An important aspect of adjustment is about helping people gain confidence in themselves as humans. That's one reason that I tell people, including politicians and NGO leaders: There are many NGOs for helping North Korean refugees, but TNKR is the best model for helping refugees practically and productively. Refugees can gain confidence in themselves as they adjust to living outside of North Korea, gaining the skill of speaking English that enables them to interact with anyone in the world.

Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center, is the 2017 winner of the "Social Contribution" Prize from the Hansarang Rural Cultural Foundation and the 2017 winner of the Global Award from Challenge Korea. He compiled these statements from an interview with Jang Jin-Sung at the TNKR office on October 10, 2018. Eunkoo Lee, TNKR co-founder, translated his comments from Korean to English.