Looking North: Films from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

By Young Sul
posted 4/17/02

The West has long characterized the DPRK as a nation shrouded in secrecy. Western media, indeed, admits and heralds that it knows nothing about the people and the nation of the DPRK. Yet, in a schizoid twist, so much effort has been made to demonize this member of the "Axis of Evil" and its intentions toward the rest of the "Free World." Everyone, especially the Bush Administration, has conveniently forgotten the positive steps taken only a few years ago to alter this stance.

The June 2000 Summit, where the Presidents of North and South Korea met for the first time was covered heavily by the Western Media. The Clinton Administration embraced Kim Dae Jung's Sunshine policy toward the North. In remarks to President Kim during his visit to the United States, Clinton, expressed his strong support for the efforts of the two Koreas to find common ground with each other. At the same time, Western Nations were opening diplomatic doors to the DPRK: The United Kingdom, Australia, European Union, The Netherlands, to name a few, have either established diplomatic ties or are in the process of doing so.

All this has been shadowed and obscured by President Bush's portrayal of the DPRK as part of the "Axis of Evil." The Western Media has followed suit, and all that was known, or could have been discovered has been conveniently forgotten.

Looking North 2: Boston Korea Friendship Association

Nation and Destiny