Hermit kingdom (original) (raw)

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Term applied to an isolationist country, especially North Korea

The term hermit kingdom is an epithet used to refer to any country, organization or society that willfully isolate itself off, either metaphorically or physically, from the rest of the world. The Democratic 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

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The first country to be described as a "hermit kingdom" was Korea during the Joseon dynasty, in William Elliot Griffis's 1882 book Korea: 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 a protectorate of Japan.[1][3]

During the Cold War, Enver Hoxha's Albania was widely considered a "hermit kingdom" as it was a Stalinist regime, did not allow ordinary citizens out of the country, and pursued autarky to become entirely self-sufficient. Unlike North Korea, Hoxha's regime, after the Sino-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 other Eastern Bloc states and did not become isolationist until after the end of the Cold War.[4][5]

Today, the term is often applied to North Korea in news and social media, and in 2009, it was used by Hillary Clinton, then the United States Secretary of State.[6]Other current countries considered isolationist "hermit kingdoms" include Turkmenistan,[7][8] Belarus,[9][10] Eritrea,[11]and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.[12]Historically, the term has been applied to Nepal,[13] Ladakh,[14]and Bhutan[15][16]in the Himalayas.

The term "hermit kingdom" has also been used to describe Western Australia when it closed its borders during the COVID pandemic.[17]

  1. ^ a b Seth 2008, p. 28.
  2. ^ Wilson, Myoung Chung (2000). Korean Government Publications: An Introductory Guide. Lantham, MD: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0810837119. OCLC 42680559.
  3. ^ Bonsal, Stephen (July 28, 1907). "The Obliteration of the Kingdom of Korea". The New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Wilkinson, Chris (June 28, 2020). "Suspicious Minds – Enver Hoxha & Albania: A Cult of Capriciousness". linkedin.com. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  5. ^ Sakalis, Alex (March 23, 2016). "Enver Hoxha: The Lunatic Who Took Over the Asylum". isnblog.ethz.ch. CSS Blog Network. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  6. ^ Raddatz, Martha (February 20, 2009). "Hillary Clinton's New Approach to Diplomacy". ABC News. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  7. ^ "Turkmenistan: The New Hermit Kingdom". rferl.org. RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty. Jul 27, 2000. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  8. ^ "Turkmenistan: the central Asian hermit state 'teetering on the edge of catastrophe'". scmp.com. South China Morning Post. 2019-07-15. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  9. ^ Landay, Jonathan (June 9, 2021). "Opposition leader says Belarus has become 'North Korea of Europe'". Reuters. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  10. ^ Chu, Lenora; Soguel, Dominique (June 18, 2021). "Belarus is becoming Europe's 'North Korea.' What can EU do about it?". csmonitor.com. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  11. ^ Gaffey, Conor (July 15, 2017). "Eritrea: Can You Travel to Africa's Hermit Kingdom?". newsweek.com. Newsweek. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  12. ^ Ahmad, Javid; London, Douglas (December 28, 2022). "The Taliban's dangerous hermit kingdom". The Hill. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  13. ^ Ragsdale, Tod Anthony (1989). Once a Hermit Kingdom: Ethnicity, Education, and National Integration in Nepal. Manohar. ISBN 9788185054759.
  14. ^ Ahluwalia, Hari Pal Singh (1980). Hermit Kingdom, Ladakh. Vikas. ISBN 9780706910223.
  15. ^ Clad, James (1990-12-20). "Nepali Influx Threatens the Hermit Kingdom". Far Eastern Economic Review. Vol. 150, no. 51. pp. 22–26.
  16. ^ Thinley, Dasho Jigmi (1996). "Current Situation in Bhutan". In Ramakant, Ramesh Chandra Misra (ed.). Bhutan: Society and Polity. Indus Publishing. p. 218. ISBN 9788173870446.
  17. ^ Towie, Narelle (January 21, 2022). "'He has pulled the rug': Mark McGowan's backflip on Covid reopening splits WA". The Guardian. Retrieved October 8, 2024.