HOPE BY ITSELF IS NOT ENOUGH : THE SOFT POWER OF NORTH KOREAN DEFECTORS

This article discusses the ever-growing body of English language memoirs by North Korean defectors, including popular works like The Aquariums of Pyongyang, Dear Leader, The Girl With Seven Names, and a number of other publications that have appeared in print recently. In the current state of North Korean defector literature, detailing what these publications have told the world about 1) the North Korean prison camp system; 2) life in North Korean society during the 1990s famine; and 3) elite defectors who lack faith in the regime. The purpose in reflecting on these books is two-fold: to highlight how they have sought to influence foreign perceptions of the DPRK; and to encourage readers to recognize the agency of a growing number of vocal North Koreans who are playing an important role in reminding the global community about the humanity of the DPRK's people. In discussing these books, I argues that the stories of North Korean defectors represent a form of soft power that is playing an important role in shaping how the American public, and the international community at large, views North Korea. It particularly emphasizes the ability of North Koreans to shape the future of the DPRK from beyond its borders and reminds readers that the fate of Kim Jong Un's regime remains closely intertwined with the agency of its own people.