Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)

The national library of North Korea, the Grand People’s Study House (GPSH), is a great source of national pride evidenced by the fact that foreigners have been granted access to parts of the library, though very strictly monitored. It is centrally located in Pyongyang among government buildings and across from the Juche Tower, a symbol of the nation’s central ideology. Very simply, Juche is the idea that the nation should be autonomous in every way. Containing works that are believed to ultimately promote Juche, it houses books, audiovisual files, computers, and rooms where foreign language classes and lectures are held.

According to The Librarian’s Book of Lists, a library is a collection of resources in a variety of formats that is:

• organized by information professionals or other experts who
• provide convenient physical, digital, bibliographic, or intellectual access and
• offer targeted services and programs
• with the mission of educating, informing, or entertaining a variety of audiences
• and the goal of stimulating individual learning and advancing society as a whole.

The GPSH easily fits within this definition, but the GPSH feels very different than a Western Library. For many of us, libraries are places that promote and defend the public’s right to access any and all information. For the DPRK, the library is a tool to promote Juche and unify the public under its rule.

Marc Kosciejew, a library and information science doctoral student, visited the GPSH in 2007 offering a unique perspective from within the field. He claims that all citizens can access the library, and he ultimately defines the library as an important social space.

Above is a 360 degree flight video of Pyongyang. The GPSH can be seen around the 2:30 mark if you pan to the right, across the river from the tower. The building is grand and clearly in a central location, but noticeably absent are people. There are a few cars and small figures milling around but not the kind of traffic one would expect from a capital city. The notion that the library is for the general populace to learn about Juche ideology or use as a social gathering place is questionable when there just are not people around. For the non-elite citizenry that do not live within the city, the library seems to not be an active source of information. The restricted access and imposing architecture paints the library as a symbol of control over information and the omnipresent influence of the Kim ruling family. Below is a link to an interactive view of the entrance hall to the GPSH. The statue is of Kim Il-Sung.

http://www.dprk360.com/360/grand_peoples_study_house/

Like the secretive nation as a whole, there is an intellectual border around the GPSH. What comes in is as tightly controlled as what goes out, so all sources of information about the nation should be viewed critically. Luckily, we have access to libraries for that.

Post by: Jennifer Rice

References

Eberhart, G. M. (2010). The librarian’s book of lists : A librarian’s guide to helping job seekers. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Kosciejew, M. (2009). Inside an axis of evil library: A first-hand account of the North Korean dear leader’s library system. Feliciter, 55(4), 167-170. Retrieved from https://proxy.lib.wayne.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/docview/223154567?accountid=14925

Kosciejew, M. (2009). Inside an axis of evil library: A first-hand account of the North Korean dear leader’s library system. Feliciter, 55(5), 207-209. Retrieved from https://proxy.lib.wayne.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/docview/223157601?accountid=14925

Lim, J. (2018, September 28). Juche as addiction, not ideology. The Korea Times. Retrieved June 24, 2019, from http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2018/09/352_256113.html