hermit kingdom

Self-secluded country

A hermit kingdom is a nation that isolates itself from the outside world, rejecting foreign trade, diplomacy, and cultural exchange.

The term originated with Korea during its strict isolationist period in the 19th century and now applies most commonly to North Korea: North Korea remains the world's last true hermit kingdom.

Any closed, secretive state may earn the label.

historical

Joseon dynasty

Korean state, 1392-1897

sakokuTokugawa-era isolation policy
TibetHimalayan plateau region
AlbaniaBalkan Peninsula country

Myanmar · medieval · feudal · tributary state

isolationism

self-sufficiency

Independence from outside aid

closed bordersRestricted national entry points
autarkyComplete economic independence
protectionismShielding local producers

self-reliance · nonintervention · insularity · import substitution · sovereignty · nationalism · independence · seclusion · withdrawal · quarantine

secrecy

impenetrable

Impossible to pass through

shroudedCovered and hidden
hiddenKept out of sight
unknownNot yet discovered

veiled · classified · covert · undisclosed · opaque · surveillance · censorship · restricted · forbidden · inaccessible

North Korea

Pyongyang

North Korean capital

Kim Jong-unNorth Korean dictator
DMZWeapon-free border zone
nuclearOf atomic energy

Kim Il-sung · Kim Jong-il · Korean War · defectors · propaganda · sanctions · famine · gulag · reunification · 38th parallel

hermit kingdom

Joseon dynasty

self-sufficiency

impenetrable

Pyongyang

hermit kingdom

Opposites

Categories

Family