North Korea

North Korea rose from the ashes of WW2 and was officially established in 1948. The first president was Kim Il Sung. Sung was succeeded by Kim Jung Il and he by Kim Jung Un. Although they were all called presidents, complete dictator would be a much more fit term. The recent history of North Korea consists mainly of threats of attack, internal propaganda, and extremely limited flow of information. The government has complete control over the entire country and everything is harshly monitored. A large military keeps order throughout the country and enforces the will of the leader. Many people are sent to work internment camps for crimes (especially political ones).

Currently in North Korea, Kim Jung Un is ruling as a young man with no military experience (usually a  prerequisite) and he has already committed himself to the same types of propaganda, military threats and harsh leadership that his father used. There have been nuclear threats as well as inner-state threats. The only recent change has been the increase in communication. North Koreans can now use cell phones for communication inside North Korea. Also, illegal smuggling of foreign materials and media is on the rise. Kim Jung Un has executed or removed almost half of his generals since his ascent to power. He has continued the tradition of political imprisonment and doesn't seem to be looking for another way. The western world has deemed Kim Jung Un as "maybe even crazier than his predecessor."

Because of this increase in communication, I believe the state and regime will change--it just depends on when. Now that more and more communication is taking place in North Korea, the leadership can't take it back. More and more people are being exposed to outside media and less and less people are buying into propagandist materials. As this trend continues, it is only a matter of time before the people overthrow the government, or insist on outside intervention. With an increase in communication out of North Korea, more outside entities (human interest groups, foreign nations, etc.) will not only be interested in North Korea, but also be inclined to help the people. Either way, increased communication will end the state of North Korea as we know it today.


http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2010/02/a_nation_of_racist_dwarfs.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/04/13/north-korea-factoids/2078831/


http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/secret-state-of-north-korea/