Juche Ideology

Communism has taken on many forms. There is Marxism, Leninism, Stalinism, Maoism and more. Communism is a loose term used to describe a number of ideologies that seek to provide a social/economic system for it's people where everyone owns everything and class (lower class, middle class, upper class) no longer exists. Wherever communism spread, it blended in with the dominant culture of usually a repressed people who have risen up against discriminatory rulers. Nowhere is this more true than in North Korea.

The Korean peninsula is nestled in between several much more powerful nations that have torn this country apart for centuries (China, Japan and Russia). The Juche ideology (official form of communism in North Korea) means 'spirit of self reliance' and 'independent stand' in English, an obvious attempt by the North Korean government to create a new form of communism specific to provide for the needs of an independent national identity for the people of North Korea.

The Juche ideology was outlined by the current leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-il and was stated as is follows. The Juche ideology system, while it is practically undisputable that it hasn't been followed through completely, could be said to more less the desires and goals the North Korean government had set out for both it's people and itself.

1. The People must have independence in thoughts and politics, economic self efficiency, and self reliance in defense.

North Korea has always been, even now, dependent on it's larger neighbors for both political guidance and financial support. North Korea is a one party system similar to that of China's. The Juche ideology is the only ideology and political thought allowed in North Korea. North Korea has always leaned toward it's communist neighbors for badly needed financial support to feed it's people. Prior to the Sino-Soviet split, North Korea received most of it's aid from Stalinist Russia but later from Communist China. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, North Korea has gone mostly into isolation.

North Korea's army is a mighty one. An estimated one in every twenty people are soldiers in the military in North Korea. North Korea's army is the fourth largest in the world. Whether or not North Korea has nuclear weapons is mostly speculation. North Korea's military is indisputably a formidable one regardless of whether they have a nuclear arsenal or not.

2. Policy must reflect the will and aspirations of the masses and employ them fully in revolution and construction.

The policies of the government of North Korea reflect the will and aspirations of Kim Jong-il, who according to the Juche ideology must be followed. Thus, it's definitely debatable as to whether the aspirations of the people and their will are reflected in the policy of North Korea. Like in the Soviet Union and Communist China, North Korea had gone under several attempts at mass industrialization (and thus construction/revolution as mentioned above). The will and aspiration of Kim Jong-il is the perceived will of the people.

3. Methods of revolution and construction must be suitable to the situation of the country.

This statement of the Juche ideology of North Korea allows for the government of North Korea to do anything it deems as appropriate at any time. Because the government of North Korea and not the people are the ones who deem what the given situation in North Korea may be, leading officials in North Korea are given absolute power to do anything they deem necessary when in any situation. Methods of revolution can mean war, industrialization or anything the government of North Korea can think up of.

4. The most important work of revolution and construction is molding people ideologically as communists and mobilizing them to constructive action.

The final 'application' of the Juche ideology, this statement made by the Kim Jong-il gives the government of North Korea absolute control over the thoughts and ideas of it's people (think 'big brother'). Because of this complete control over all thoughts and ideas, the Juche ideology is said often to be more than a political ideology. Many claim that it is more of a religion, philosophy and way of life where North Korea's leaders are given a Godly like presence and are the symbol of communism. Like in other dictatorships, North Korea's leaders have statues built of them and tales of heroism written about them that are taught in schools as definite fact in an attempt by North Korea's government to teach it's people how and what to think. The transformation of North Korea's people into 'communists' is something not unique to North Korea. It's application however is.

The Soviet Union was officially atheist as was China's Communist government. Unlike in North Korea however, they never intended their ideology to become a pseudo-religion and wanted all religion to be destroyed. Houses of worship were destroyed in both these larger communist nations. In North Korea however, huge celebrations of both it's former leader and it's present leader birthdays are held yearly and their leaders are treated as though they were saints or gods to a degree not seen in other communist nations.

The Juche ideology is a North Korean version of what we know as communism. It's a mixture of both old traditions and an ideology imported from places thousands of miles away from Pyongyang (the capital of North Korea). The Juche ideology in North Korea is one of the few region-specific forms of communism still practiced today. In a classless world, North Korea has proven itself beyond all doubt to be trying to hold true to it's traditions and what they claim as 'anti-imperialism'.