| ID | 168227 |
| Title Proper | Symbolic practices of legitimation |
| Other Title Information | exploring domestic motives of North Korea’s space program |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Shim, David ; Philipp Olbrich, David Shim ; Olbrich, Philipp |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Despite international sanctions and a strained economy, North Korea continues to spend scarce resources on a costly space program. Hitherto, research has usually explained this continuity in terms of international security and/or international reputation. Accordingly, Pyongyang uses its space-related efforts as a pretext to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles and to enhance its international reputation. This article argues that these explanations do not suffice and thus adds domestic motives for consideration. By engaging recent North Korean studies, which emphasize the importance of performance and symbol for the politics of the Kim regime, this article explores recurring actions and routinized behavior by the leadership as symbolic practices that reinforce domestic legitimacy. The goal is to provide a conceptual avenue through which to better understand North Korean affairs. Taking into account the domestic factors also has, as will be shown, practical policy implications for those negotiating with the regime over its space program. |
| `In' analytical Note | International Relations of the Asia-Pacific Vol. 19, No.1; 2019: p. 33–61 |
| Journal Source | International Relations of the Asia-Pacific Vol: 19 No 1 |
| Key Words | North Korea ; Space Program |