Luise Rinser’s Third-World Politics: Isang Yun and North Korea

Abstract

This chapter explores Luise Rinser’s turn to North Korea and her role as its apologist. She was quite enthusiastic about the Juche ideology, which emphasized the country’s political and economic independence, but her understanding of it was problematic, for she could not foresee its negative consequences. Cho covers Isang Yun’s experience in the East Berlin Incident and his connection to North Korea and treats his influence in Rinser’s turn to North Korea. Then, she focuses on Rinser’s portrayal of North Korea’s Juche ideology, which Rinser praised for its encouragement of economic and political independence, even though she rejected both American and also Soviet imperialism. Ultimately, Rinser failed to observe how North Korea’s ideology led to its economic downturn and international isolation.