tsolipsism

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tsolipsism

tsolipsism

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‘Potato Pride’ was the product of a concerted campaign by the North Korean government to promote the virtues of the potato in the face of food insecurity during the mid-1990s- a period which saw the famine that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, known as the Arduous March. It was believed that the potato would grow better than other crops in the cold and mountainous terrain of North Korea, particularly in the northeastern provinces. Large numbers of people were allegedly relocated to Yanggang Province in the country’s northeast to work on collective farms specialising in potato agriculture. The most famous of which, the one at Daehongdan, later came to be included as one of the ‘eight sights of the Songun (military-first) (era)’ (선군팔경; 先軍八景)- ‘The Daehongdan Sea of Potato Flowers’ (대홍단의 감자꽃바다).

However, since Korean people have always preferred other crops, especially rice, the government sought to steer them towards the spud using one its most trusted tools- propaganda. Thus, during a certain period in the 90s, there appeared a profusion of references to potatoes in film, TV, art, and music. ‘Potato Pride’ is a fine example, the song’s sole purpose seemingly just to elevate the status of the potato.

Song by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il

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Created 3 years, 9 months ago.

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