Sagepaper

There is a phenomenon seen world-wide and throughout history known as "Brain-drain." This is what happens when many people flee an area, and the best and brightest almost all leave. Often, it is those who are the most intelligent, and those who have the greatest education, and those who have been the most financially successful, who first see "the writing on the wall." They evacuate a troubled area immediately, and then soon, and a few later. Very few of these individuals choose to "ride it out." Others in the population leave sooner, and more leave later, then most are stuck with borders closed to prevent their emigration.

This does not immediately affect the highest echelons of government, typically. During an invasion, however, the highest echelons do evacuate swiftly and establish a government-in-exile. When the threat is from the government, however, you typically see brain-drain. This can cripple a nation's institutions, but not for a while. Subordinates will be promoted to fill the vacancies. Institutional policies and procedures can continue to work for a while.

Eventually, though, a nation's institutions are destined for destruction. When the best and brightest and most proven people are gone, that leaves unsavory choices for whom to promote. Often, university professors are in the vanguard of the emigration. This means the educational system is going to go downhill. Unless this is corrected, the future of the nation is grim, indeed.

More bright people will come from next generations, but they must be educated if they are to help their country's recovery. Sometimes nations which have suffered brain-drain will send their youth to foreign universities to get the needed education. Even so, an instance of brain-drain takes decades to fix, unless you can woo your emigrants to return.

I think it likely that Northern Korea suffered a brain-drain during the Korean war, as people chose to flee communism. More recently, I read a headline referring to a major refugee movement from North Korea to South Korea. I don't know how major. There have also been increasing numbers of refugees to China. I can't help but think that many intelligent and educated people might want to get out of a new nuclear power state -- especially one which is not diplomatically well-received. They are more of a target than a power right now, and I would think that might rattle a few cages.

I don't know if fleeing North Koreans will be able to escape the peninsula, or make their way to South Korea. According to an article I read in Asia Times, many North Koreans were able to make it into consulates in China, and then on to third countries. Predictably, this became more difficult. Now, the PRC has actually invaded a number of consulates, supposedly sovereign foreign soil, to arrest North Koreans inside. The gateway is closing, and those who thought of leaving first have left their countrymen behind.

Was this a brain-drain? If so, what are the implications for North Korean society? It is bad enough to have a brain-drain, but having two within fifty years could be truly devastating. Also, I'm sure North Korea has not had a massive program of foreign education for their new shining stars. Simply experiencing the "wealth" of a backwater Chinese province on their border has disillusioned numerous refugees. They have been taught that North Korea is the wealthiest country in the world. They are told of all the things they are provided, which are too expensive for many in the rest of the world. They believe, for example, that free public education is unique to them.

Given the magnitude of the lies the people are told, it could be dangerous to send young idealistic students off to foreign universities. I don't know how bad things are inside North Korea now. They have had to cope with food shortages and face famine. However bad things are, it seems to have reached a point where their leader sees acquiring nuclear weapons as the way to the future. From what the DPRK has indicated they will consider as acts of war, it appears they went swiftly from begging to armed robbery.

They say any reduction in food aid will be seen as an act of war. Why have they turned to armed robbery? We did not make them grovel for the assistance we gave them. Perhaps if they had some better-trained advisors in the government, they could enjoy greater diplomatic success. The nation seems, from the outside, to be intellectually unbalanced. I think they understand militarism better than anything else. Perhaps that is an artifact of the Korean War.