How North Korea approaches the collapse of and the changes in other authoritarian regimes?

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K01443
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 06010:Politics-related
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Isozaki Atsuhito 慶應義塾大学, 法学部(日吉), 准教授 (40453534)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 北朝鮮

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The current study clarifies how North Korea approaches the collapse of and the changes in other authoritarian regimes, and what lessons it has absorbed to strengthen its own regime in the long-term. The examination has focused on (1) lessons learned regarding “the first hereditary socialist system” from criticism made by Joseph Stalin in the USSR and from the Lin Biao incident in China; (2) lessons learned about “the establishment of Songun politics” from the second Tiananmen incident in China and the execution of the Ceausescus in Romania; and (3) the presentation of the “Byungjin Line” that established nuclear activity as a measure for regime protection, based on the awareness that the Gaddhafi regime in Libya collapsed when the country abandoned its nuclear development plans.

Free Research Field

北朝鮮政治

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

研究成果は、学会発表や論文公刊により公表した。北朝鮮政治研究は常に資料的制約を伴うが、公開資料のほか新資料も踏まえ、北朝鮮の論理解読に努めた。
金日成政権下における社会主義体制初の世襲、金正日政権下における「先軍政治」の確立、金正恩政権下における「並進路線」の提示、すなわち核保有のさらなる重視は、いずれも他の権威主義体制の経験を教訓として、体制護持のために活用したものと考えられる。