The termhermit kingdomis an epithet used to refer to any country, organization or society that willfullyisolateitself off, either metaphorically or physically, from the rest of the world. TheDemocratic People's Republic of Korea(North Korea) is commonly cited as a prominent example of a hermit kingdom in the present day.
Historic use: Korea
editThe first country to be described as a "hermit kingdom" wasKoreaduring theJoseon dynasty,inWilliam Elliot Griffis's 1882 bookKorea: The Hermit Nation.[1][2]Korea, which had become increasingly isolationist since the 17th century, was frequently described as a hermit kingdom until 1905, when it became aprotectorate of Japan.[3]
Cold War uses
editDuring theCold War,Enver Hoxha'sAlbaniawas widely considered a "hermit kingdom" as it was aStalinistregime, did not allow ordinary citizens out of the country, and pursuedautarkyto become entirely self-sufficient. Unlike North Korea, Hoxha's regime, after theSino-Albanian split,refused to ally with anyone and was hostile towards the entire world, which made it more isolationist than North Korea, which was then Stalinist but was allied with otherEastern Blocstates and did not become isolationist until after the end of the Cold War.[4][5]
Modern use
editToday, the term is often applied to North Korea in news and social media, and in 2009, it was used byHillary Clinton,then theUnited States Secretary of State.[6]Other current countries considered isolationist "hermit kingdoms" includeTurkmenistan,[7][8]Belarus,[9][10]Eritrea,[11]and theIslamic Emirate of Afghanistan.[12]Historically, the term has been applied toNepal,[13]Ladakh,[14]andBhutan[15][16]in the Himalayas.
Other uses
editThe term "hermit kingdom" has also been used to describeWestern Australiawhen it closed its borders during theCOVID pandemic.[17]
See also
edit- Haijin– Isolationist policy in early modern China
- Sakoku– Japanese isolationist policy from 1633–1853
- Kim Il Sung– Supreme Leader of North Korea from 1948 to 1994
- Isolationism– Policy against engaging in international relations
References
edit- ^Fischer, David H.Historians' Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought.
- ^Wilson, Myoung Chung (2000).Korean Government Publications: An Introductory Guide.Lantham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
- ^The Obliteration of the Kingdom of KoreabyStephen Bonsal,The New York Times,July 28, 1907
- ^"Suspicious Minds – Enver Hoxha & Albania: A Cult of Capriciousness".www.linkedin.com.Retrieved2022-11-11.
- ^Sakalis, Alex."Enver Hoxha: The Lunatic Who Took Over the Asylum".Retrieved2022-11-11.
- ^Raddatz, Martha (February 20, 2009)."Hillary Clinton's New Approach to Diplomacy".ABC News.RetrievedMay 23,2023.
- ^"Turkmenistan: The New Hermit Kingdom".Stratfor.Retrieved2022-11-11.[permanent dead link]
- ^"The horse crazy leader and a hermit state 'on the edge of catastrophe'".South China Morning Post.2019-07-15.Retrieved2022-11-11.
- ^Landay, Jonathan (2021-06-09)."Opposition leader says Belarus has become 'North Korea of Europe'".Reuters.Retrieved2022-11-11.
- ^"Belarus is becoming Europe's 'North Korea.' What can EU do about it?".Democratic Europe without Borders.2021-06-18.Retrieved2022-11-11.
- ^Gaffey, Conor (2017-07-15)."Eritrea: Can You Travel to Africa's Hermit Kingdom?".Newsweek.Retrieved2022-11-11.
- ^Ahmad, Javid; London, Douglas (2022-12-28)."The Taliban's dangerous hermit kingdom".The Hill.Retrieved2023-01-13.
- ^Ragsdale, Tod Anthony (1989).Once a Hermit Kingdom: Ethnicity, Education, and National Integration in Nepal.Manohar.ISBN9788185054759.
- ^Ahluwalia, H. P. S.(1980).Hermit Kingdom, Ladakh.Vikas.ISBN9780706910223.
- ^Clad, James (1990-12-20). "Nepali Influx Threatens the Hermit Kingdom".Far Eastern Economic Review.Vol. 150, no. 51. pp. 22–26.
- ^Thinley, Dasho Jigmi(1996). "Current Situation in Bhutan". In Ramakant, Ramesh Chandra Misra (ed.).Bhutan: Society and Polity.Indus Publishing. p. 218.ISBN9788173870446.
- ^Towie, Narelle (21 January 2022)."'He has pulled the rug': Mark McGowan's backflip on Covid reopening splits WA ".The Guardian.Retrieved11 November2022.