Politics of North Korea

The politics of North Korea (officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK) follows a special set of beliefs called Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism. One part of these beliefs is called Juche. Juche teaches that a strong country should rely on itself and be independent.

North Korea's government is very centralized, meaning all decisions come from the top. The constitution calls North Korea a "dictatorship of people's democracy" led by the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). This party has the highest power and is above all others. The WPK's General Secretary is usually the supreme leader and has control over important groups like the Presidium, Politburo, Secretariat, and Central Military Commission.

The WPK has ruled North Korea since 1948. Other small parties exist, but they must accept that the WPK is in charge. Elections in North Korea have only one choice, and that choice is decided beforehand by the WPK. There are also many mass organizations controlled by the WPK. Everyone must join one of these groups. Some important organizations 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.

Many people outside North Korea think it is a totalitarian state. They notice the strong cult of personality around Kim Il Sung and his family. The WPK, led by a member of this family, holds all the power. Kim Jong Il focused on the Songun or "military-first" idea. Later, under Kim Jong Un, words like communism and the socialist economy started being used again.

History

Kim Il Sung led North Korea from 1948 until he died in July 1994. He had many important jobs, like leader of the main party, and head of the government. After he died, his son, Kim Jong Il, became the leader. He was chosen to be leader in the 1980s, but it took until 1997 for him to have all the main powers. The rules of the country were changed to keep Kim Il Sung as the "Eternal leader of Juche Korea" to always remember him. Many people respected him very much when he was the leader.

Political parties and elections

According to the Constitution of North Korea, the country is a democratic republic. The Supreme People's Assembly and Provincial People's Assemblies are chosen by people aged 17 and older. However, these elections have only one candidate to pick from. Voting against this candidate is possible but can be dangerous.

All elected leaders belong to the main ruling party, the Workers' Party of Korea. There are also two smaller parties, the Chondoist Chongu Party and the Korean Social Democratic Party, but the main party decides who can run for office. In the past, a few other small groups also took part in elections.

Political ideology

North Korea began with ideas from Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union. Over time, it focused more on Juche, which means being strong and independent. This idea came from Marxism–Leninism but was changed to fit North Korea. In 1972, Juche became the main idea of the country. In 2009, some words about communism were removed, but North Korea still sees itself as part of a group of similar countries. The Workers' Party works with other groups and has a close link with Cuba. In 2016, North Korea showed respect after Fidel Castro's death.

Political developments

North Korean politics has been shaped by its relationship with South Korea. During the Cold War, North Korea was closely tied to the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China. The country worked hard to build its military to try to bring Korea together or protect itself. The idea of Juche guided North Korea to stay independent and use its resources to defend itself.

After the Soviet Union ended in the early 1990s, North Korea had big economic problems, like not enough food and trouble in industry. The government tried to stay stable and improve ties with South Korea, which helped a little through trade and support. However, North Korea’s efforts to build nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles made relations hard. Even with some openness to market changes, these efforts did not work well. The country’s leadership has stayed stable. After the death of Kim Il Sung in 1994, his son Kim Jong Il took over, and later, Kim Jong Un continued to lead the nation, focusing on military strength and economic issues.

Transition of power to Kim Jong Un

Political power

After the death of Kim Jong Il in December 2011, his son, Kim Jong Un, became the leader of North Korea. He soon took control of the army, the main political party, and the country's defense group.

Differences from the Kim Jong Il regime

Kim Jong Il focused a lot on the military to keep the country stable. Kim Jong Un has kept a similar style but has shared power among the political party, the government, and the army. This change has moved some power away from the military and might bring new challenges in the future.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of North Korea

North Korea has special relationships with other countries because of its long history with South Korea and world communism. Both Koreas think they are the only real government for all of Korea. The Korean War in the 1950s did not solve this issue, and North Korea is still in a military standoff with South Korea and the United States Forces Korea across the Demilitarized Zone.

In the early Cold War years, only communist countries recognized North Korea. Later, it made friends with developing nations and joined the Non-Aligned Movement. After the Eastern Bloc ended in 1989–1992, North Korea tried to build stronger ties with richer capitalist countries. During this time, the world tried to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula (called the Korean conflict). North Korea also acquired nuclear weapons, which caused concern in the international community.