Politics of North Korea

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This article is about the politics of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. For other uses, see Politics of Korea. For the article about the politics of the Republic of Korea, see Politics of South Korea.

Politics of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

조선민주주의인민공화국의 정치 (
totalitarian hereditary dictatorship
ConstitutionConstitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Legislative branch
NameSupreme People's Assembly
TypeUnicameral
Meeting placeMansudae Assembly Hall
Presiding officerPak Thae-song, Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly
Executive branch
Supreme leader
TitleGeneral Secretary
CurrentlyKim Jong Un
AppointerCentral Committee
Head of State
TitlePresident of the State Affairs
CurrentlyKim Jong Un
AppointerAppointed by the Supreme People's Assembly
Head of Government
TitlePremier
CurrentlyKim Tok-hun
AppointerAppointed by the Supreme People's Assembly
Cabinet
NameCabinet
LeaderPak Jong-gun
Deputy leaderVice Premier
AppointerPremier
Ministries43
Judicial branch
NameJudiciary of North Korea
Central Court
Chief judgeKang Yun-sok
Politics of North Korea
Constitution
Workers' Party of Korea
Congress (8th)
14th term
State Affairs Commission
14th term
Cabinet
14th term
Elections
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations
Related topics
flag North Korea portal

The politics of North Korea (officially the

Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism. Juche, which is a part of Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism, is the belief that only through self-reliance and a strong independent state, can true socialism be achieved.[1][2]

North Korea's political system is built upon the principle of

dictatorship of people's democracy"[3] under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), which is given legal supremacy over other political parties. WPK General Secretary is typically the supreme leader, who controls the WPK Presidium, the WPK Politburo, the WPK Secretariat and the WPK Central Military Commission
, making the officeholder the most powerful person in North Korea.

The WPK is the ruling party of North Korea. It has been in power since its creation in 1948. Other minor political parties also exist, but are legally bound to accept the ruling role of the WPK.

mass organizations controlled by the WPK.[6][7] Those who are not WPK members are required to join one of these organizations.[8] Of these, the most important ones are the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, Socialist Women's Union of Korea, General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea, and Union of Agricultural Workers of Korea.[6]

Outside observers generally view North Korea as a

socialist economy is again in common use.[16]
He additionally made Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism the main ideology of the country.

History

the cult of personality
he cultivated during his life.

Political parties and elections

According to the

for show and feature single-candidate races only.[19] Those who want to vote against the sole candidate on the ballot must go to a special booth—in the presence of an electoral official—to cross out the candidate's name before dropping it into the ballot box—an act which, according to many North Korean defectors, is far too risky to even contemplate.[20]

All elected candidates are members of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea (DFRK), a popular front dominated by the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).[needs update] The two minor parties are the Chondoist Chongu Party and the Korean Social Democratic Party, who also have a few elected officials. The WPK exercises direct control over the candidates selected for election by members of the other two parties.[5] In the past, elections were contested by other minor parties as well, including the Korea Buddhist Federation, Democratic Independent Party, Dongro People's Party, Gonmin People's Alliance, and People's Republic Party.[21]

Political ideology

The Juche Tower symbolizes the official state philosophy of Juche.

Originally a close ally of

Fidel Castro's death.[28]

Political developments

Eternal General Secretary of the Workers' Party, Kim Jong Il
(right).

For much of its history, North Korean politics have been dominated by its adversarial

its military, hoping to develop the capability to reunify Korea by force if possible and also preparing to repel any attack by South Korea or the United States
. Following the doctrine of Juche, North Korea aimed for a high degree of economic independence and the mobilization of all the resources of the nation to defend Korean sovereignty against foreign powers.

In the wake of the

collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s and the loss of Soviet aid, North Korea faced a long period of economic crisis, including severe agricultural and industrial shortages. North Korea's main political issue has been to find a way to sustain its economy without compromising the internal stability of its government or its ability to respond to perceived external threats. Recently, North Korean efforts to improve relations with South Korea to increase trade and to receive development assistance have been mildly successful. North Korea has tried to improve its relations with South Korea by participating in the Pyeongchang Olympics, when Kim Jong Un sent his band and a few officials to visit South Korea. But North Korea's determination to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles has prevented stable relations with both South Korea and the United States. North Korea has also experimented with market economics
in some sectors of its economy, but these have had limited impact.

Although there are occasional reports of signs of opposition to the government, these appear to be isolated, and there is no evidence of major internal threats to the current government. Some foreign analysts[

North Korea-China border, and new sources of information about the outside world for ordinary North Koreans as factors pointing to an imminent collapse of the regime.[citation needed
] However, North Korea has remained stable in spite of more than a decade of such predictions. The Workers' Party of Korea maintains a monopoly on political power and Kim Jong Il remained the leader of the country until 2011, ever since he first gained power following the death of his father.

After the death of Kim Il Sung in 1994, his son, Kim Jong Il became the new leader, which marked the closure of one chapter of North Korean politics. Combined with external shocks and the less charismatic personality of Kim Jong Il, the transition of the leadership moved North Korea toward less centralized control. There are three key institutions: the Korean People's Army (KPA), the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), and the cabinet. Rather than dominate a unified system as his father had, each party has their own enduring goals, therefore providing checks and balances to the government. No one party could claim victory and power over the other ones. With changing internal situation, combined with external pressure, the cabinet started to endorse policies it had rejected for years.[29] North Korea politics is gradually becoming more open and negotiable with foreign countries.

Under Kim Jong Il the status of

Day of the Foundation of the Republic on 9 September.[citation needed] Under Kim Jong Un there has been an increased emphasis on economic matters, with major defence spending needing support from an economic standpoint.[16][30]

While the commonly accepted view is that no dissent can be expressed in North Korea, the notionally academic economic journal Kyo'ngje Yo'ngu and the philosophical and economic journals of Kim Il Sung University permit the presentation and discussion of the different views of various parts of the government.[16]

Protests

In 2005, a

disqualification of the player.[31][32]

Between 2006–2007, "market riots" erupted in the countryside when the government "unsuccessfully tried to restart" the Public Distribution System.[31] Andrei Lankov goes on to say that the "outbreak of public discontent usually happens at the markets when vendors believe that their right to make money is being unfairly infringed by some decision of the authorities".[31]

In June 2011, it was reported that the government had ordered universities to cancel most classes until April 2012, sending students to work on construction projects, presumably for fear of similar developments as in North Africa. In the previous months, the regime had ordered riot gear from China.[33] However, "as soon as universities were reopened, graffiti appeared again. Perhaps the succession is not the real reason, but greater awareness among North Koreans could lead to changes."[34]

Transition of power to Kim Jong Un

Political power

After the

Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army on December 30, 2011, was appointed first secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) on April 11, 2012, and was entitled first chairman of the National Defense Commission (NDC) two days later. To gain complete political power, he became the military rank of Marshal of the KPA.[30]

Differences from the Kim Jong Il regime

Up until his death, Kim Jong Il maintained a strong national military-first political system that equated stability with military power. Kim Jong Un continues to carry on the militarized political style of his father, but with less commitment to complete military rule. Since he took power, Kim Jong Un has attempted to move political power away from the KPA and has divided it among the WPK and the cabinet. Because of his political lobbying, the WPK's Central Committee has vastly shifted power in April 2012: out of 17 members and 15 alternates of the Committee, only five members and six alternates derive from military and security sectors. Ever since, the economic power of the WPK, the cabinet, and the KPA has been in a tense balance. The KPA has lost a significant amount of economic influence because of the current regime, which continually shifts from what Kim Jong Il built his regime on, and may cause later internal issues.[30]

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of North Korea

The foreign relations of North Korea have been shaped by its conflict with South Korea and its historical ties with world communism. Both the government of North Korea and the government of South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea) claim to be the sole legitimate government of the whole of Korea. The Korean War in the 1950s failed to resolve the issue, leaving North Korea locked in a military confrontation with South Korea and the United States Forces Korea across the Demilitarized Zone.

At the start of the

acquired nuclear weapons, adding to the concerns of the international community.[35]

See also

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-19-517044-3
    .
  2. ^ Myers, B. R. (2011). The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves and Why It Matters. pp. 45–46 Paperback edition.
  3. ^ "Naenara Democratic People's Republic of Korea". www.naenara.com.kp. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  4. ^ Tertitskiy, Fyodor (26 November 2014). "Being a minor party in the North". NK News. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Freedom in the World, 2006". Freedom House. Archived from the original on 14 July 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2007.
  6. ^
    ISBN 978-0-912966-55-7
    .
  7. ISBN 978-0-929692-23-4
    .
  8. OCLC 829395170. Archived
    (PDF) from the original on 1 January 2017.
  9. ^ "North Korea country profile". BBC News. 9 April 2018.
  10. ^ "Kim Jong Un's North Korea: Life inside the totalitarian state". Washington Post.
  11. ^ "Totalitarianism". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2018.
  12. ISBN 978-1-62513-171-3
    .
  13. ^ Audrey Yoo (16 October 2013). "North Korea rewrites rules to legitimise Kim family succession". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 28 October 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  14. ^ "The Parliamentary System of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" (PDF). Constitutional and Parliamentary Information. Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments (ASGP) of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  15. ^ Herskovitz, Jon (28 September 2009). "North Korea drops communism, boosts "Dear Leader"". Reuters. Archived from the original on 1 October 2009.
  16. ^ a b c Carlin, Robert; Minyoung, Rachel Lee (22 September 2021). "Understanding Kim Jong Un's Economic Policymaking: Defense Versus Civilian Spending". 38 North. The Henry L. Stimson Center. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  17. ISBN 978-1-4729-0613-7
    .
  18. ^ s:Constitution of North Korea
  19. ^ Wiener-Bronner, Danielle (6 March 2014). "Yes, There Are Elections in North Korea and Here's How They Work". The Atlantic. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  20. ^ Lee, Jean H. (8 March 2009). "North Korea votes for new rubber-stamp parliament". Fox News. Associated Press. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  21. ISBN 978-0-19-924959-6
    .
  22. S2CID 153356279
    .
  23. ^ s:Constitution of North Korea (1972)
  24. ISBN 978-0-312-32322-6
    . Although it was in that 1955 speech that Kim gave full voice to his arguments for juche, he had been talking along similar lines as early as 1948.
  25. ^ DPRK has quietly amended its Constitution (Archived 21 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine)
  26. ^ "13th International meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties in Athens". Act of Defiance. 29 November 2011. Archived from the original on 14 March 2014.
  27. ^ Ramani, Samuel (7 June 2016). "The North Korea-Cuba Connection". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 8 June 2016.
  28. ^ "N.K. declares 3-day mourning over ex-Cuban leader Castro's death". Yonhap News Agency. 28 November 2016. Archived from the original on 28 November 2016.
  29. ^ Kang, David C."They Think They’re Normal: Enduring Questions and New Research on North Korea—A Review Essay." International Security, vol. 36 no. 3, 2011, pp. 142–171. Project MUSE,
  30. ^
    ISSN 0967-067X
    .
  31. ^
    ISBN 978-0199390038
    .
  32. ^ "Soccer Riot in Tightly Controlled North Korea Surprises Observers". Los Angeles Times. 2 April 2005. Retrieved 14 September 2020.(subscription required)
  33. ^ "North Korea shuts down universities for 10 months". The Telegraph. 28 June 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  34. ^ Joseph Yun Li-sun (14 February 2012). "The symbols of the Kims' power under attack, North Koreans are waking up". AsiaNews. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  35. ^ "Understanding North Korea's Nuclear Coercion Strategy". Archived from the original on 6 May 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2017.

Further reading

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