North Korea, or the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was founded by Kim Il Sung, (김일성) who developed a Marxist philosophy he calls Juche (주 체사상). It is based largely on independence, the spirit of self-reliance and the building of socialism. The philosophy seems well suited to a small country with limited resources. The philosophy has allowed the country to do a balancing act between the super powers of the Soviet Union, The US and China. While getting aid from the now defunct Soviet Union, Kim never allowed the Soviets to dictate the DPRK’s foreign policy.
Although the DPRK has been a traditional ally of the People’s Republic of China, the two country’s socialist ideology are and have been vastly different. Both Kim and Mao Zedong (毛泽东) built a strong cult of personality. But in the DPRK it has been built into the official state ideology. Juche required a strict loyalty to Kim and his leadership. Mao on the other hand built his ideology on the leadership of the masses. Both nations were fiercely independent, but China had way more natural resources with its large size and larger population, so China was able to achieve independence easier.
The DPRK is not a very democratic country with the leadership taking in little input from the common people. Mao’s China had several campaigns designed to involve the masses in participation with the government. Mao spent a lot more time trying to develop a “people’s democracy.”
The DPRK is probably has more dedication to socialism today than China, which since the death of Mao has embraced a lot of capitalist economic policies.
The DPRK is also a more anti-imperialistic country, refusing to allow the US to influence its internal decision making. The DPRK does not have the resources to spread its revolutionary ideology beyond offering books and publications explaining Juche. Maoism is a more sophisticated ideology and it can be applied to a wider array of countries and situations. There are few political parties anywhere in the world that base their ideology on Juche or Kimilsungism, while Maoism is a strong political current in the left in today’s world. Ironically, China is no longer following the Maoist ideology and has a reactionary foreign policy shaped on its own economic interest rather than on spreading revolution.
The DPRK’s lack of democracy and its present isolationism makes it a less desirable country to use as a development model. However, this is a country that has fought a war against US imperialism and has survived, with the help of China, to be one of the last Marxist states in the world. As with Cuba, it is not a workers paradise or a stronghold of Marxist democracy. The key to improving the country lies in diplomacy that would allow it to make small changes without fear of sabotage from the imperialist powers such as the US.
There are some leftist who will not support or even recognize the DPRK’s right to exist. But this policy is extremely reactionary and could lead to a disaster if the DPRK were to end up as East Germany did and get swallowed up by South Korea. If this did happen, socialism would not only disappear from the peninsula, the DPRK would lose all its industry to rich South Korean capitalists, all its socialist arts and culture would be destroyed, maybe even outlawed, the present Workers' Party of Korea, the ruling party of the DPRK would be outlawed and most of those who are in the government, in the North, would be jailed. This is what happened in East Germany and Albania following their socialist collapse.
This is why we must support The KPRK’s right to exist. As long as imperialist powers, mainly the US, threaten the DPRK, we need to oppose such agresion and support self determination of the North Korean people. They can always improve their government at a later time. We also must not be fooled when a liberal presidents, such as Barrack Obama make the same threats as the right-wing Republicans.
- សតិវ អតុ
Although the DPRK has been a traditional ally of the People’s Republic of China, the two country’s socialist ideology are and have been vastly different. Both Kim and Mao Zedong (毛泽东) built a strong cult of personality. But in the DPRK it has been built into the official state ideology. Juche required a strict loyalty to Kim and his leadership. Mao on the other hand built his ideology on the leadership of the masses. Both nations were fiercely independent, but China had way more natural resources with its large size and larger population, so China was able to achieve independence easier.
The DPRK is not a very democratic country with the leadership taking in little input from the common people. Mao’s China had several campaigns designed to involve the masses in participation with the government. Mao spent a lot more time trying to develop a “people’s democracy.”
The DPRK is probably has more dedication to socialism today than China, which since the death of Mao has embraced a lot of capitalist economic policies.
The DPRK is also a more anti-imperialistic country, refusing to allow the US to influence its internal decision making. The DPRK does not have the resources to spread its revolutionary ideology beyond offering books and publications explaining Juche. Maoism is a more sophisticated ideology and it can be applied to a wider array of countries and situations. There are few political parties anywhere in the world that base their ideology on Juche or Kimilsungism, while Maoism is a strong political current in the left in today’s world. Ironically, China is no longer following the Maoist ideology and has a reactionary foreign policy shaped on its own economic interest rather than on spreading revolution.
The DPRK’s lack of democracy and its present isolationism makes it a less desirable country to use as a development model. However, this is a country that has fought a war against US imperialism and has survived, with the help of China, to be one of the last Marxist states in the world. As with Cuba, it is not a workers paradise or a stronghold of Marxist democracy. The key to improving the country lies in diplomacy that would allow it to make small changes without fear of sabotage from the imperialist powers such as the US.
There are some leftist who will not support or even recognize the DPRK’s right to exist. But this policy is extremely reactionary and could lead to a disaster if the DPRK were to end up as East Germany did and get swallowed up by South Korea. If this did happen, socialism would not only disappear from the peninsula, the DPRK would lose all its industry to rich South Korean capitalists, all its socialist arts and culture would be destroyed, maybe even outlawed, the present Workers' Party of Korea, the ruling party of the DPRK would be outlawed and most of those who are in the government, in the North, would be jailed. This is what happened in East Germany and Albania following their socialist collapse.
This is why we must support The KPRK’s right to exist. As long as imperialist powers, mainly the US, threaten the DPRK, we need to oppose such agresion and support self determination of the North Korean people. They can always improve their government at a later time. We also must not be fooled when a liberal presidents, such as Barrack Obama make the same threats as the right-wing Republicans.
- សតិវ អតុ
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