"Dialectics of Labor: Working in Postwar North Korea"

When was North Korea's state system formed? There are varying opinions on this matter. Some suggest it was in the 1930s when the country was actively engaged in anti-Japanese activities. Others argue for the 1960s, citing the establishment of a unitary system, while some point to the 1980s when the successor system was solidified. However, the 1950s are often considered the pivotal period, as it was during this decade that the foundational elements of the social and economic system were put in place. Pyongyang was designated as the capital city, and significant growth occurred in the industrial sector.

In light of these historical considerations, we have organized three lectures aimed at delving into the process of North Korea's National System Building during the 1950s. Through these lectures, we aim to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of North Korea's new strategy in the 2000s, centered around the reconstruction of its national system.

Lecturer:

Dr. Cheehyung Harrison Kim, Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, USA

Cheehyung Harrison Kim is an associate professor in the Department of History at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. His research and teaching focus on socialism, labor, industrialism, everyday life, and urbanism in the context of East Asia and North Korea. He is the author of Heroes and Toilers: Work as Life in Postwar North Korea, 1953-1961, which was published by Columbia University Press in 2018. He is also the editor of the journal Korean Studies.