Despite the fact that the DPRK has not been involved in war for about six decades, contemporary North Korean culture tends to present the past, present and future of the country as overwhelmingly militarised.
A peculiar consequence of this militarisation of culture is the creation of an artificial quasi-war environment. North Korean narrators blur the historical timeframes of events, and mention only the most obscure details of defence operations.
Despite the fact that the DPRK has not been involved in war for about six decades, contemporary North Korean culture tends to present the past, present and future of the country as overwhelmingly militarised.
A peculiar consequence of this militarisation of culture is the creation of an artificial quasi-war environment. North Korean narrators blur the historical timeframes of events, and mention only the most obscure details of defence operations.
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Tatiana Gabroussenko obtained her PhD in East Asian Studies at the Australian National University. She is currently a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University, Seoul. Her latest book, "Soldiers on the Cultural Front: Developments in the Early History of North Korean Literature and Literary Policy," was included in the Choice magazine list of Outstanding Academic Titles of 2012.