Review of Dr Dermot Hudson’s new book “The Great Conspiracy Against People’s Korea: An Expose of The Intrigues To Destroy Juche-Based Socialism”
Dr. Dermot Hudson, well-known among friends of the DPRK, recently released the new book, “The Great Conspiracy Against People’s Korea: An Expose of The Intrigues To Destroy Juche-Based Socialism”.
Anti-DPRK media bias in the West is a well-known, but little studied phenomenon; some experts on Korean peninsula (for example, Konstantin Asmolov) have written several articles exposing often simply atrocious lies published regularly in the mainstream Western media about this country. Asmolov, for example, refuted various lies of the so-called North Korean defectors in South Korea where their material/financial well-being practically depends on their ability to come up with “unimaginable horror stories” about their life in the North. But such experts usually concentrate in their research on just one personality or one book. Besides, sometimes they sound almost apologetic while refuting those lies: such is their fear of being accused of not being impartial. However, as Vladimir Lenin rightly said, “” There isn’t such thing as impartial media in our increasingly polarised world, and it becomes clearer to more and more people by the day.
The degree of prejudice towards the DPRK in the world we live in, can be illustrated with an almost anecdotal, but real episode from a friend’s life: after his visit to the DPRK, when he spoke of his visit in his workplace, he was then rebuked… by his trade union (“Mr. X. claims that in North Korea corn in the fields grows taller than human beings”, was the “accusation”). He then produced as evidence photos of himself in that North Korean cornfield, covered by the tall corn plants. He was told in no uncertain terms not to show these photos to his colleagues ever again. On another occasion, a North Korean delegation was visiting one of the Western European countries. A professor suggested to organise a meeting for them with students where students would be permitted to ask any questions. Koreans had absolutely no objection to this, but the university administration objected, and the meeting (which was planned to be titled “North Korea: is a dialogue with the Devil possible?”- so disrespectful for the guests, but the organisers never even thought about it) was not permitted to go ahead after all. So much for the freedom of speech and freedom of expression in this “free” and “impartial” world!
What makes Dr. Hudson’s book different than for example, Asmolov’s articles, is the fact that he makes no apology for being a friend of the People’s Korea, he is proud of his record of solidarity work with this country and of his 18 visits to Pyongyang and other parts of it. As a person who has seen the country with his own eyes, who has talked to many people there of various strata of life, who studied its history and the Juche ideas in-depth (he received his Doctorate degree at the Academy of Social Sciences in Pyongyang) he obviously knows the reality of the DPRK a lot better than some Western experts who have never set a foot in the country, but are often full of burning hatred towards it and in many cases also receive generous grants from various foundations for their slandering works.
The scope of this book is also very broad – it’s not just analysis of one single biased work about the DPRK. This is a chronologically structured analysis of a wide variety of methods of conducting anti-Korean propaganda and subversive work where “human rights issue” serves merely as pretext for ideological sabotage, sanctions racketeering and other forms of hostile
activity, up to preparation of direct terrorist acts against this country (there are actually some European researchers who openly condone such acts as the unfamous armed attack on the DPRK Embassy in Madrid in 2019!)
Dr. Hudson in his book gradually and in-depth exposes these hostile activities in his book, over its 9 chapters. It is a very timely publication, as the interest towards the DPRK has grown over the last few years explosively and is continuing to grow, since the major economic, political, military and cultural developments took place in this country under the leadership of Marshal Kim Jong Un. And when people begin to search for more information about it, it is very important that they actually should have a choice of sources, not just an avalanche of anti-DPRK clap-trap (sadly, it is a regular occurrence that DPRK’s own websites and DPRK-backed YouTube channels become blocked /inaccessible in the “impartial” West!). Dr. Hudson’s book aims to fill those gaps and fills them successfully.
The book, in chronological order, reveals, using specific examples, various forms and methods of defamation of this socialist country. On certain issues, the author could perhaps dig a bit deeper - for example, to show how many different Western and South Korean think tanks and research institutions will lose their grants if this defamation stops, so there is a direct interest of "researchers" to continue with their slander so as not to lose their jobs. Perhaps this could become a subject for Dr.Hudson’s future works, since he already produced in an appendix to his book a very impressive graphic scheme “How Anti-DPRK propaganda works. Inter-relationships between agencies and institutions in creating and publishing propaganda hostile to the DPRK.
Particularly interesting are also other appendixes to this book where the methods of anti-Korean subversive work and propaganda described in the book, are investigated in detail, using specific examples, such as BBC’s documentary The Mole.
The author managed to successfully cover a big topic in a relatively small book. It would be great to see the continuation of this work or perhaps a separate version, designed for those readers who know practically nothing about the DPRK (for example, the story with a conspiracy to blow up monuments in the DPRK- such readers might need an explanation of why monuments are so deeply important to the people of the DPRK).
Dr. Hudson has proven himself over the years to stand up in the media for the People’s Korea in face of various degrees of pressure and ostracism. The ostracism of those who dare to express a different to the “mainstream” Western point of view on the DPRK is deeply ironic -by doing so, the Western media practically accuse the DPRK precisely of what they themselves are guilty of. It’s just like the depiction of the DPRK in South Korean films – it’s not the DPRK at all that is shown on the screen, it’s just is an unsightly self-portrait of the South Korean society, with its very own negative sides and problems.
To understand the Korean people of the DPRK, one needs to have a sincere interest and desire to do so, as well as long and patient, unbiased communication with the local people. Often those who go to the DPRK with a predetermined task of vilifying it, like most Western journalists, do not have such interest or willingness to learn to understand the Korean society. Luckily, Dr. Hudson has both long standing and sincere interest in the DPRK and its people, and his unshaken and passionate willingness to learn more and more about this fascinating socialist country with his every visit and to share his experience with us! This book is a
testament of his dedication, passion and hard work.
I Malenko .
The book can be purchased from here
https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/dermot-hudson/the-great-conspiracy-against-peoples-korea/paperback/product-7ngqmw.html
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