Socialist Solidarity and the Terms of Exchange: Soviet–North Korean Relation

November 19, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Mānoa Campus, Center for Korean Studies Conference Room (1881 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822)

What did “fraternal” support between the Soviet Union and North Korea look like in practice? Drawing on Russian archival records, this study shows that from 1953 to 1990, solidarity worked less through open-ended generosity and more through established rules governing prices, the settlement of trade balances, credit, and technical cooperation. While these rules kept the relationship intact for nearly four decades, they also defined its limits. Consequently, the relationship cannot be explained solely as a pursuit of socialist integration, nor merely as a reflection of respect for the sovereignty of an individual state. About the Speaker: Donghyuk Kim is Associate Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology and Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Education and Research. He earned his Ph.D. in History from Korea University in 2015 and specializes in Soviet mathematical economics, Soviet foreign trade, and technological exchange during the Cold War. Dr. Kim is currently a Ƶing Scholar at the Center for Korean Studies.


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Center For Korean Studies, Mānoa Campus

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