Hermit kingdom is a term applied to any country 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.
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, modernly known as Ethiopia, was identified by the Europeans as the "hermit kingdom".
Famous quotes containing the words hermit and/or kingdom:
“Mankind have such a deep stake in inward illumination, that there is much to be said by the hermit or monk in defence of his life of thought and prayer.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“In the kingdom of consumption the citizen is king. A democratic monarchy: equality before consumption, fraternity in consumption, and freedom through consumption. The dictatorship of consumer goods has finally destroyed the barriers of blood, lineage and race.”
—Raoul Vaneigem (b. 1934)