Hermit kingdom

Hermit kingdom is a term applied to any country, organization, or society which willfully walls itself off, either metaphorically or physically, from the rest of the world. The Joseon Dynasty of Korea was frequently described as a hermit kingdom during the latter part of the dynasty. The term is still commonplace throughout Korea and is often used by Koreans themselves to describe pre-modern Korea.

The Hermit Kingdom was also used to describe the American grocery store chain A&P from the late 1950s to the late 1960s when the management for the company became dogmatic and complacent.

Today, the term is often applied to North Korea in news media, and in 2009 was used by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Other countries like Bhutan and the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen have also been described as hermit kingdoms due to their government's reluctance to engage in dialogue with the outside world. The early African civilization of Axum, now known as Ethiopia, was identified by the Europeans as the "hermit kingdom".

The first documented use of "hermit" to refer to Korea is in the title of William Elliot Griffis' 1882 book, Corea: The Hermit Nation. The writer of the book had never visited Korea, did not speak the language, and had no first-hand experience with the country.

See also

• Foreign relations of North Korea
• Isolationism