Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-2020
Abstract
Since the beginning of the Korean War, the North Korean and U.S. governments have been involved in emotional warfare. From North Korea’s stated “eternal hatred” of the U.S. imperialists to Washington’s demonization of Pyongyang as an insidious Soviet pawn, emotions have been at the heart of this hostile bilateral relationship. Using three case studies (the 1968 Pueblo incident, the 1976 axe murder incident, and the 1994 nuclear crisis), I examine the ways in which the two sides have elicited emotional responses from their populations for their respective political goals. By portraying the U.S. as the source of all evilness in its state-run media, the North Korean regime halted internal criticisms and consolidated their political power. Meanwhile, the U.S. media saw North Korea’s aggression as a symbol of Communist treachery and Soviet imperialism.
Recommended Citation
Young, Benjamin, "Before “Fire and Fury”: The Role of Anger and Fear in U.S.–North Korea Relations, 1968–1994" (2020). Research & Publications. 22.
https://scholar.dsu.edu/anspapers/22
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