is north korea a juche

What does Juche mean in North Korea?

Juche rules North Korean propaganda, but what does it mean? The word Juche is ubiquitous in North Korea, and while it's technically a political ideology, it can seem more like a religion because of its difficulty for many outsiders to grasp and its ability to inspire devotion among North Koreans

What is Juche 109 in North Korea?

Kim Il Sung is the founder and the Eternal President of North Korea. Using the Juche calendar, 1912 is known as Juche 1 to North Koreans. The year 2020 is therefore known as Juche 109.

How many Juche followers does North Korea really have?

North Korean state media claim Juche followers worldwide and point to their interest as evidence of Juche's power. It's unclear how many there really are, but one devotee, Dermot Hudson, the chairman of the Juche Idea Study Group of England, said that outsiders misunderstand Juche because of prejudice and a failure to properly study the concept.

What is Juche kimchi?

As he works to explain Juche, Kim, the North Korean academic, compares it to another uniquely Korean word-kimchi, the Korean staple of fermented spicy vegetables. "Kimchi was created in our country. But for us it is just kimchi. Nobody uses another word to describe kimchi," Kim said.

Is North Korea a communist or Juche?

North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, continues to be a Juche socialist state under the rule of the Workers' Party of Korea. In South Korea, the National Security Law has been used to criminalize advocacy of communism and groups suspected of alignment with North Korea.

What is North Korea classified?

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea) is an authoritarian state led by the Kim family for 70 years. Shortly after Kim Jong Il's death in late 2011, his son Kim Jong Un was named marshal of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army.

Who came up with Juche?

Juche (Korean: 주체사상, romanized: juchesasang) is the group of ideas developed by North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung, Juche means self-reliance.

Is is North Korea called DPRK?

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, also known as North Korea) is a highly centralised totalitarian state. Despite being one of the poorest countries in the world, it maintains one of the largest militaries and devotes significant resources to its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile development programs.

Who is allowed to live in Pyongyang?

7. Permission needed to live in the national capital. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wants only the most successful, wealthy and influential people to live in North Korea's Pyongyang. People must have an express permission to live in the capital.

Is there still a caste system in Korea?

In 1894, the Korean caste system was legally abolished by the Gabo reform. However, social discrimination against the baekjeong did not come to an end.

Does North Korea have Internet?

Internet policies Internet access is not generally available in North Korea. Only some high-level officials are allowed to access the global internet. In most universities, a small number of strictly monitored computers are provided.

What propaganda does North Korea use?

North Korean propaganda posters are very similar to the messages portrayed by socialist countries. North Korean propaganda posters focus on military might, utopian society and devotion to the state, and the leader's personality.

Is communism the same as socialism?

The main difference is that under communism, most property and economic resources are owned and controlled by the state (rather than individual citizens); under socialism, all citizens share equally in economic resources as allocated by a democratically-elected government.

Is North Korea technically a democracy?

The constitution defines North Korea as "a dictatorship of people's democracy" under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), which is given legal supremacy over other political parties.

Can North Koreans leave North Korea?

Freedom of movement North Korean citizens usually cannot freely travel around the country, let alone travel abroad. Emigration and immigration are strictly controlled.

What is a North Korean called?

What is the official name of North Korea? Believe it or not, North Korea is actually called the DPRK!

Why is North Korea classified as a dictatorship?

The constitution defines North Korea as "a dictatorship of people's democracy" under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), which is given legal supremacy over other political parties.

Is North Korea a dictatorship or socialist?

According to Article 1 of the state constitution, North Korea is an "independent socialist state". It holds elections, though they have been described by independent observers as sham elections, as North Korea is a totalitarian dictatorship, with a comprehensive cult of personality around the Kim dynasty.

What kind of society is South Korea?

Korea has long been a culturally homogeneous society, but the number of migrant workers and foreign students has rapidly increased since the end of the 20th century.

What are the three classes in North Korea?

The May 30th Resolution and the KWP's Intensive Guidance Project provided the basis for songbun's socio-political classification of the entire North Korean population by dividing the entire citizenry into three distinct loyalty groups based on family background: "friendly", "neutral", and "enemy" forces.

What is Juche in North Korea?

Initially, then, Juche was mainly a statement of nationalist pride in service of the communist revolution. But by 1965, Kim had evolved the ideology into a set of three fundamental principles. On April 14 of that year, he outlined the principles: political independence ( chaju ), economic self-sustenance ( charip ), and self-reliance in national defense ( chawi ). In 1972, Juche became an official part of North Korea's constitution.

What did Kim Jong Il write about Juche?

Kim Jong-Il and Juche. In 1982, Kim's son and successor Kim Jong-il wrote a document titled On the Juche Idea , elaborating further on the ideology. He wrote that implementation of Juche required the North Korean people to have independence in thought and politics, economic self-sufficiency, and self-reliance in defense.

What did the Kim family use Juche for?

Using Juche as a political and rhetorical tool , the Kim family has nearly erased Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, and Mao Zedong from the consciousness of the North Korean people. Within North Korea, it now appears as if all of the precepts of communism were invented, in a self-reliant way, by Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.

What is Juche philosophy?

Philosophy and Politics. Juche began as Kim's simple statement of self-reliance ; specifically, North Korea would no longer look to China, the Soviet Union, or any other foreign partner for aid. Over the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, the ideology evolved into a complex set of principles that some have called a political religion.

When did Kim Il Sung first mention Juche?

Roots: Turning Inward. Kim Il-sung first mentioned Juche on December 28, 1955, during a speech railing against Soviet dogma. Kim's political mentors had been Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin, but his speech now signaled North Korea's deliberate turn away from the Soviet orbit, and a turn inward.

Who is the founder of Juche?

Juche, or Korean socialism, is a political ideology first formulated by Kim Il-sung (1912–1994), the founder of modern North Korea . The word Juche is a combination of two Chinese characters, Ju and Che, Ju meaning master, subject, and the self as actor; Che meaning object, thing, material.

Is Juche a communist?

Juche is thus the guiding idea of the people's activities and the country's development. Officially, North Korea is atheist, as are all communist regimes.

What is the Juche ideology of North Korea?

North Korea rest all its political power in the monarchy of the Kim family guided by the Juche principles of the worker's party of Korea, where the son or immediate member of Kim's family automatically takes over the leadership of the country upon the death of the preceding ruler. The Juche ideology of North Korea is not only a political idea, ...

Where did Juche originate?

The government of North Korea attributes the origin of the Juche ideology to the late Kim II-sung's experience in the struggle against the Japanese occupation during World War II. Its first documentation occurred in 1955 in Kim's speech which was delivered to promote a political purge.

What is Kimjongilism after Kim II-sung?

Kimilsungism -Kimjongilism means the "party of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-il". It came into existence when Kim Jong-il ...

What is Kim II Sung's role in North Korea?

Since the introduction and implementation of this ideology, it has placed the Kim micro-family unit at the head of a nationwide macro-family, with Kim II-sung as the father figure and the North Korean people as his children. Therefore, the Koreans live under a virtual umbrella of brothers and sisters, people of one parent and look up to the Kim family to offer guidance and direction. North Koreans transferred the full party of nationalism in the family by positioning Kim II-sung as the universal patriarch, and in effect, North Korea's familial nationalism has superseded the somewhat theoretical, class-oriented language of socialism with a more easily comprehensible and identifiable language of familial connections, love, and obligations. North Korea rest all its political power in the monarchy of the Kim family guided by the Juche principles of the worker's party of Korea, where the son or immediate member of Kim's family automatically takes over the leadership of the country upon the death of the preceding ruler.

What is Kimjongilism in Korea?

Kimilsungism -Kimjongilism means the "party of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-il". It came into existence when Kim Jong-il insisted on integrating the Juche idea. This juche-oriented theory of revolution and juche-oriented leadership formed one major idea to guide the Workers' Party, and in turn the nation, of North Korea.

Why was the Juche Tower built?

The Juche Tower in Pyongyang was constructed to celebrate Kim Il Sung's 70th Birthday in 1982. The Juche ideology emphasizes North Korea's political, economic, and military self-reliance. It became the state ideology and sole guiding principle of the government following the rise of a one-party communist state in the country following World War II.

What is the connection between Juche and Kim Jong Un?

Kim of the Social Scientists Association linked Juche to Kim Jong Un's ambitious construction of new skyscraper apartments, which has continued in recent years despite strengthened sanctions. "It is the might of Juche," the academic said. "Even if someone does not help us, we will build by ourselves."

Why is it impossible to understand Juche?

Understanding his country, he said, is impossible without understanding Juche because "all the achievements of the country are linked to the idea, which forms the guidelines of the party and state."

What did Kim Jong Un do?

Kim Jong Un has made the development of nuclear bombs and the struggling economy twin priorities of his rule, and repeated references to Juche run through the propaganda centered on both efforts. There's a debate, however, among outsiders on what, exactly, the term means under Kim's rule — and why it's important.

What is Juche propaganda?

Some critics call Juche a successful, but vaguely defined, piece of propaganda that allows North Korea to energize its citizens with a nationalistic rallying cry amid a barrage of sanctions while also dodging responsibility over claims of economic mismanagement. For calamity after calamity — the collapse of the Soviet Union, the North's major aid backer, in the 1990s; a devastating famine that same decade; relentless economic sanctions — there is always an answer and a solace: Juche.

What is the theme of Kim Jong Un's era?

North Korea has now officially "enshrined 'self-reliance and self-development'" as the new ideological theme of the Kim Jong Un era, taking the place of his father Kim Jong Il's military-first policies, said Joshua Pollack, a North Korea expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and a close reader of its propaganda.

Why did Hudson become interested in Juche?

Hudson is a British writer who says he became interested in Juche in the 1980s as a young communist disillusioned with the Soviet Union. He said in an email that North Koreans embrace the ideology "because it guarantees independence and guides them in building a new socialist society in which everyone can have a better life."

What does Pyongyang call the nuclear bomb?

The nation calls nuclear bombs the "treasured sword" of Juche. Newly unveiled weapons fire "Juche shells." The August test of a new rocket launcher heralded the "rapid development of the Juche-oriented defense industry."

What does Juche teach North Koreans?

Juche teaches North Koreans that upon death, they will be reunited with Kim Il-sung and live with him forever. Instead of God the Son, Juche worships Kim Il-sung's son, Kim Jong-il, who until his own death in 2011, reigned as his dead father's surrogate.

What is the Juch E?

Juch e requires North Koreans to bow daily to the three Kims' portraits (above), which must hang on the “best” wall of their homes. Neglecting proper care of the portraits is a capital crime and North Koreans are praised for rushing back into burning homes to save the portraits of the three Kims.

Was Kim Il Sung a Christian?

The son of Christian parents and the grandson of a Christian pastor, Kim Il-sung was intimately familiar with Christianity and witnessed Christians choose martyrdom over worshipping the Japanese Emperor during Japan’s 1910-1945 colonization of Korea.

Is Juche a religion?

Juche is most often thought to be a socio-political ideology. In reality, Juche is a religion, and North Korea's 25 million adherents make Juche the world’s fifth largest religion after Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. Moreover, Juche is modeled after Christianity.

What does "juche" mean?

Juche, meaning "self-reliance", is the official ideology of the country which supposedly informs its actions.

Why did Juche include concepts?

The other motivation was the need to legitimize Kim Il- sung, the founder of North Korea. By creating a Korean form of communism, Sung could claim to be on par with leaders such as Mao, Stalin, or Lenin by having his own ideology. This is partly why Juche includes concepts which are collectively referred to as Kimilsungism.

What is the intellectual cornerstone of North Korea's behavior?

Knowing that the intellectual cornerstone behind North Korea’s behavior is the goal of autonomy puts some of its actions in perspective. The rejection of economic liberalization, tight control on what outside information gets into the country, and standoffish attitude towards foreign powers in diplomacy is not only an excellent way to maintain dictatorial authority but also a way to keep North Korea “self-reliant.”

What does Myers quote from North Korean literature?

In one of his books, Myers quotes from North Korean literature which speaks to the “five-thousand year old, jade-like spirit of the race, imbu ed with the proudly lonely life-breath of the worlds’ cleanest, most civilized people.” In another section, he compares the cults of the Kim family and the Japanese emperor during WWII, as both were “associated with white clothing, white horses, the snow-capped peak of the race’s sacred mountain, and other symbols of racial purity.”

Is Juche an ideological system?

Many observers argue that there is no real ideological system to Juche and that it is just a cover for whatever the Great Leader wants to do.

Who wrote Juche?

A detailed explanation of Juche as (allegedly) written by Kim Jong-il, the second leader of North Korea, can be found here.

Is North Korea a communist country?

He also proposes that North Korea isn’t a communist state at all, but rather a right-wing state that, ironically, derives its socio-political system from the Japanese fascism that once oppressed the Korean people.

Why is North Korea called North Korea?

In the wider world, because the government controls the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, it is commonly called North Korea to distinguish it from South Korea , which is officially called the Republic of Korea in English. Both governments consider themselves to be the legitimate government of the whole of Korea.

Which countries do not have a relationship with North Korea?

As of September 2017, France and Estonia are the last two European countries that do not have an official relationship with North Korea. North Korea continues to have strong ties with its socialist southeast Asian allies in Vietnam and Laos, as well as with Cambodia.

What is the dominant party in North Korea?

The Workers' Party of Korea, led by a member of the ruling family, is the dominant party and leads the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea, of which all political officers are required to be members. According to Article 3 of the constitution, Juche is the official ideology of North Korea.

What was the name of the country that was part of the DPRK?

The formation of the DPRK came from a number of provisional governments: the People's Republic of Korea (PRK), the Soviet Civil Administration (SCA), the Provisional People's Committee of North Korea, and the People's Committee of North Korea. The Korean War began in 1950, with an invasion by North Korea, and lasted to 1953.

How many people are in the Korean army?

The Korean People's Army (KPA) has 1,106,000 active and 8,389,000 reserve and paramilitary troops, making it the largest military institution in the world. With an active duty army of 1.21 million, consisting of 4.7% of its population, the KPA is the fourth largest military force in the world after China, the United States and India. About 20 percent of men aged 17–54 serve in the regular armed forces, and approximately one in every 25 citizens is an enlisted soldier. The KPA has five branches: Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Special Operations Force, and Rocket Force. Command of the Korean People's Army lies in both the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea and the independent State Affairs Commission. The Ministry of People's Armed Forces is subordinated to the latter.

How many people died in North Korea in 1994?

From 1994 to 1998, North Korea suffered a famine that resulted in the deaths of between 240,000 and 420,000 people, and the population continues to suffer malnutrition. North Korea follows Songun, or " military first " policy, for its Korean People's Army.

Where did the name Korea come from?

The name Korea is derived from the name Goryeo (also spelled Koryŏ ). The name Goryeo itself was first used by the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo (Koguryŏ) which was one of the great powers in East Asia during its time, ruling most of the Korean Peninsula, Manchuria, parts of the Russian Far East and parts of Inner Mongolia, under Gwanggaeto the Great. The 10th-century kingdom of Goryeo succeeded Goguryeo, and thus inherited its name, which was pronounced by visiting Persian merchants as "Korea". The modern spelling of Korea first appeared in the late 17th century in the travel writings of the Dutch East India Company's Hendrick Hamel.

What is the Juche calendar?

The Juche calendar is an alternative dating system used in North Korea where the years are based on the Juche era.

Who is the founder of Juche?

Kim Il Sung is the founder and the Eternal President of North Korea. Using the Juche calendar, 1912 is known as Juche 1 to North Koreans. The year 2020 is therefore known as Juche 109. The name of the Juche calendar is derived from the state ideology of ‘Juche’, loosely translated to ‘self-reliance’. This ideology was developed by Kim Il Sung ...

How do you work out the Juche year quickly?

It’s easiest to work out the difference between 1912 and our current year (eg. 2020), and then add 1. This makes it currently Juche 109.

What are the rules for using the Juche calendar?

However, there are important rules. For any date including or after 1912, the date must be written in either of two formats: May 22, Juche 109 (2020), ...

When was the Juche calendar created?

When was the Juche calendar introduced? The Juche calendar was introduced by decree on July 8, 1997, the three-year anniversary of the passing of Kim Il Sung.

Is there a Juche before 1912?

There is no Juche 0. Years prior to 1912 (Juche 1) continue to be written as per the Gregorian calendar, there is no ‘before Juche’ or similar concept.

Origins and Evolution Over Time

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Kimilsungism

Kimjongilism

Songun

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Role of The Kim Family in North Koreans' Daily Lives