Hermit kingdom explained

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

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.^[3]

Cold War uses

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]}

Modern use

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.

Other uses

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

Notes and References

1. Book: Fischer, David H.. Historians' Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought.
2. Book: Wilson, Myoung Chung . Korean Government Publications: An Introductory Guide. . Lantham, MD . Scarecrow Press . 2000.
3. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1907/07/28/104992374.pdf The Obliteration of the Kingdom of Korea
4. Web site: Suspicious Minds – Enver Hoxha & Albania: A Cult of Capriciousness . 2022-11-11 . www.linkedin.com . en.
5. Web site: Sakalis . Alex . Enver Hoxha: The Lunatic Who Took Over the Asylum . 2022-11-11 . en-US.
6. News: Raddatz . Martha . February 20, 2009 . Hillary Clinton's New Approach to Diplomacy . . May 23, 2023.
7. Web site: Turkmenistan: The New Hermit Kingdom . 2022-11-11 . Stratfor .
8. Web site: 2019-07-15 . The horse crazy leader and a hermit state ‘on the edge of catastrophe’ . 2022-11-11 . South China Morning Post . en.
9. News: Landay . Jonathan . 2021-06-09 . Opposition leader says Belarus has become 'North Korea of Europe' . en . Reuters . 2022-11-11.
10. Web site: 2021-06-18 . Belarus is becoming Europe’s ‘North Korea.’ What can EU do about it? . 2022-11-11 . Democratic Europe without Borders . en-GB.
11. Web site: Gaffey . Conor . 2017-07-15 . Eritrea: Can You Travel to Africa's Hermit Kingdom? . 2022-11-11 . Newsweek . en.
12. News: Ahmad . Javid . London . Douglas . 2022-12-28 . The Taliban’s dangerous hermit kingdom . en . The Hill . 2023-01-13.
13. Book: Ragsdale, Tod Anthony . 1989 . Once a Hermit Kingdom: Ethnicity, Education, and National Integration in Nepal . Manohar . 9788185054759.
14. Book: Ahluwalia, H. P. S. . H. P. S. Ahluwalia . 1980 . Hermit Kingdom, Ladakh . Vikas . 9780706910223 .
15. News: Clad . James . 1990-12-20 . Nepali Influx Threatens the Hermit Kingdom . en . Far Eastern Economic Review . 150 . 51 . 22–26 .
16. Book: Thinley, Dasho Jigmi . Jigme Thinley . 1996 . Current Situation in Bhutan . Bhutan: Society and Polity . Ramakant, Ramesh Chandra Misra . 218 . Indus Publishing . 9788173870446 .
17. News: 21 January 2022 . 'He has pulled the rug': Mark McGowan's backflip on Covid reopening splits WA . Towie . Narelle . 11 November 2022 . The Guardian . en.