North Korea is not A Socialist State

Kim Young Hwan / Editorial Board in The DailyNK

The nature of the North Korean regime started to change on the fundamental level since the 1960s.
If we were to call the period of 1945-1960 in North Korea “period of Common Socialist Regime,” we could call the period from 1960s to early 1990s, “period of Absolute Suryeong (Supreme Commander) Socialist Regime,” and from 1990s to the present as the “A military dictator regime under a mafia-like boss.”

First Period: 1945~1967

The North Korean society was established following the Marx-Leninist teachings, by those who wished to acknowledge Stalin as the Supreme Commander of the international communist movement and to participate in the movement. For this reason, the North Korean regime did not differ much in its ideology or values from other socialist regimes. In this period, although people began to describe Kim Il Sung as the Suryeong (Supreme Commander), it was not an extremely deviation from deeds of other socialist societies. It was initiated on a moderate level to establish suryeong. Kim Il Sung’s (political) power was not as strong as other leaders in socialist societies and Kim held less than half the power of the Chosun (North Korean) Worker’s Party. The Party’s power did not have much correlation with Kim Il Sung’s power. Although the party’s power could work positively for Kim Il Sung’s personal power-building effort, the party could force him to resign at any time. During this time period where the basis of communist logic was utilized, Kim Il Sung had to obey the decision of the party as the member of the Chosun Worker’s Party and he could be replaced by another leader if the party decided so.

Second Period: 1967~early 1990s

In 1967, Kim Il Sung took over the control of the party with a sudden change in the regime, by having most of the top political figures purged including Park Keum Chul, who was the second- highest political figure in the Chosun Worker’s Party. Kim Il Sung accused Park Keum Chul, Lee Hyo Soon and other important party members of “having organized a sect in the party,” for which Kim could not provide supporting evidence. In the end, Kim Il Sung managed to conduct a mass cleansing out in the political arena in order to build his own power. Having sided with China during the Sino-Soviet Ideological Competition, North Korea reduced the ability for the Soviet to interfere with the North’s domestic politics and since China fell into a mass chaos since 1966 with the Cultural Revolution, China could not take much interest in North Korea’s internal matters, either. Kim Il Sung took advantage of this opportune timing to build a dictatorship. Obstacles to Kim’s objectives, such as Park Keum Chul, were killed. After two years, in 1969, the major military figures were also purged and Kim Il Sung successfully established an absolute one-man totalitarian regime.

During this period, the North Korean regime is very similar to the Stalinist regime on the fundamental level. They are namely, 1) the establishment of an absolute one-man regime, 2) active use of secret police and gulags, 3) an adequate balance of communist ideology and politics of fear, and 4) creating environment to exalt the leader. However, the North’s system has some aspects contrasting from the Stalinist regime. Stalin endeavored not to cross the lines drawn by the Marx-Leninist teachings and the ideology became the founding basis of his personal power. On the other hand, Kim Il Sung believed that if he puts emphasis on Marx-Leninist ideology, his politics will never be free from Soviet and Chinese political interference and thus he will not be able to secure power. For this reason, he combined some traits of Marx-Leninist philosophy and his personal belief in nationalism together and created Juche Ideology. He commanded Hwang Jang Yeop to build this new ideology into a system. (Although there still is difference in perceptions toward Juche ideology between Kim Il Sung and Hwang Jang Yop) Hwang Jang Yep created a system to carry out Juche ideology, propagandize and educate the ideologies in schools and work places by coercion. Juche ideology is only a philosophy, which has no basis on political or economic theory; therefore this roughly- constructed ideology was not understood even among the party members or elite groups. Until his death, Kim Il Sung believed his Juche ideology is a philosophy created from a combination of Marx-Leninist ideals and his personal ideas of nationalism. Since Kim Il Sung did not care much about the philosophy; he was incapable of distinguishing nuances. Kim Jong Il was not interested in Juche ideology from the start; his only interest was to obtain and secure power by using the Juche ideology. Actually, it was better for Kim Jong Il that Juche ideology was not as well structured. Since there was room for manipulation, he could alter Juche ideology without having to be bothered with ideological restraints.

Starting from 1970, the philosophical base of North Korean society rapidly becomes distanced from ideology (or “de-ideologized”), for the following reasons;
1) Kim Il Sung-Kim Jong Il allied power chronically fundamentalist figures
2) Prohibition and suppression of study of Marxism-Leninism
3) Un-ideological characteristics of the Juche ideology which became the guiding ideology for the state
4) Junche ideology was poorly structured and had no basis in political theroy
5) A political culture that lost space for ideological disputes; the public were enforced only to memorize Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong’s quotations

In North Korean society, the communism lost its life as an ideology, and there is no one who has ideological interest. North Korean communist organs such as the Worker’s Party, Propaganda and Agitation Department, and other bodies lost willingness to propagate about the ideology but only endeavor to worship and idolize Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in every way possible. Their success is only secondary when their survival is put into question. If they do not do everything possible to maintain their position, their family members will be dragged to political prisons. For this reason, they could care less about ideology but only concentrate on praising Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

During this period, not only did the society seem like it was becoming de-ideologized, but the power of the Chosun Worker Party started to weaken as well. Kim Il Sung put the party forth to purge Park Keum Chul and Kim Chang Bong, but after he succeeded in establishing totalitarian regime, Kim was no longer interested in strengthening the party. In particular for Kim Jong Il, although he consistently used the party structure to strengthen his personal power, he ensured the party was placed under Kim Il Sung and himself. Furthermore, he ignored the party’s official political guidance, formal meeting, and he closed the party assembly. In the process, the party’s status and power was lowered and members of the party lost interest in working as the party members but instead, concentrated on currying favor of Kim Jong Il. This was also the reality for the Worker’s party which in turn, influenced all the organs in the society. The absolute respect of the Worker’s Party disappeared over time.

Meanwhile, departments ordered to carry out the oppression commands of the government such as gulags and the National Security Agency were rapidly reinforced. During this time, countless people were taken to gulags and the entire nation was swept with fear. Until 1967, communist ideology was the prop that maintained the regime; but since 1967, fear became the most important element that sustained the regime. However, what really upheld the regime until 1980s was the idolization of Kim Il Sung and brainwashing through education.
Main Characteristic of the Time Period of 1967~early 1990s
1. Concentrate on idolization of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il
2. Iron-fist rule by Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il’s absolute authority and power
3. De-Marx-Leninism and De-ideologization
4. Rapid Strengthening of Control and Abusive government organs
5. Weakening of the Chosun Worker’s Party
Third Period : early 1990 ~ Present

Entering the 1990s, the North Korean fundamentally changed once again. The changes did not start suddenly in 1990s, but rather they were the results that had been cumulating from the 1960s, with changes gradually taking substantial characteristics. Although it is rather ambiguous to point out the exact time, it is assumed the changed started to become visible in the early 1990s. If the military dictatorship characteristic was emphasized, it was either when Kim Jong Il succeeded as the supreme commander of the People’s Military in December 1991, or in 1993 when he became the North Korean National Defense Commission Chairman (The nuclear crisis also started in 1993). On the other hand, if the collapse of the national system in North Korea as a normal state was to be emphasized, the food crisis of 1993-1994 must be pointed out.

The role and authority of the Chosun Worker’s Party became weakened little by little and by 1990s, the party becomes one of the tools for the Kim Jong Il’s dictatorship. The party’s commands to the military were no longer given importance and the military became considerably independent of the party, which became under the personal command for Kim Jong Il. The Chosun Worker’s Party’s now holds less authority than the military. Kim Jong Il used to rely on the party to control the military, but the party was no longer necessary since he could now control the military directly. Since the Sixth Corps Pre-Coup d’etat Incident in 1995 led by a political commissioner (the person who has control over the military party and its organs), the Worker’s Party holds even less power with the military than before.

Furthermore, de-ideologization that started in the 1960s deepened over time, and by the 1990s, communist ideology was far from the people’s interest. This is when the ideological pillar that sustained the North Korean regime was completely removed. Those people who advocated for ideology were disregarded in the society, and Juche ideology was nothing more than propagandistic tools necessary for “unification front effort” and “South Korea espionage effort” targeted at the brothers (North Koreans) living in 3rd world countries or other foreign countries. Kim Il Sung did not fully understand what Juche ideology was but since he believed he created it, he had a special attachment to it. However, for Kim Jong Il, although he needed it to secure his personal power and justify his status, Juche was insignificant for him once he secured his position. For this reason, after Kim Il Sung’s death, the significance of Juche ideology which was regarded as important at least superficially, no longer existed. Especially after 1997 when Hwang Jang Yop, the former international secretary of the North Korean Worker’s Party (the one who actually created the Juche ideology) defected to South Korea, Juche was further disregarded.

Another notable characteristic of this period is the fact that all the systems of the state started to collapse. Although bribery was a common practice in North Korea, it was not any worse than cases of the other third world countries. However, starting in 1990s, bribery was practiced as a common aspect of culture in every part of the society, and the level of bribery in North Korea since then, is the highest in the world. The fact that bribery prevails throughout a society means that the national functions to control bribery or other acts of corruption are no longer active. By law, anyone caught of receiving or giving bribes are to be executed, but they can avoid execution or other punishments by bribing, thus law, holds no controlling authority.

The systematical collapse in North Korea is evidenced in all parts of the society in this period. Food distribution system, one of the most important national systems that strengthened the regime, collapsed because the regime could no longer afford to feed its people. For this reason, millions of people died of starvation, wandered across the nation as beggars. Where as before there were only a few people who dared to cross the national border, now the number of people who illegally crossed over the border exceeded one million. The government of North Korea tortured, executed and practiced many forms of abuse for those who illegally crossed the border, but fear of punishment did not deter people from crossing the border for survival.

Originally, North Korea strictly prohibited trafficking of all kind, but around this period, for the government to control trafficking of goods was almost important since the food distribution system came to an end. For this reason, although it was prohibited by law, private trafficking was commonly practiced by individuals.

Another important characteristic of this period is the fact that idolization and brainwashing of those people aimed to induce their voluntary obedience and loyalty became the pillars to maintain the North Korea regime. For example, those who have recently defected from North Korea are terrified to hear other name-calling of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and refuge to call them by other names than those that idolize the two. This is due to an extensive brainwashing education and habit. Voluntary obedience and loyalty are only case of a few, and even their number is decreasing. The regime based on the idolization is quickly crumbling down. The North Korean people hardly know of Kim Jong Il’s bad deeds and immoral behavior, thus idolization deeply enrooted in the society has yet to disappear. However, it is a certainty that the idolization is quickly losing more and more justification. For any country, if an overwhelming fear has long been prevailing in the society, even if voluntary obedience and loyalty existed before, such voluntary loyalty weakens due to the fear, although the expression of loyalty may become strong but only out of fear. In the end, only hollow echoes of expression of loyalty roams, but only fear remains in the society. North Korea is reaching that stage. Although the name is filled with praises for Kim Jong Il, there is no respect for him, but only fear. In other words, they are filled with the thought that unless they express their utmost praise for Kim Jong Il, they will be punished; and in worst case, sent to gulags or other kind of concentration camps.

There was also a fundamental change in the system of property possession. Originally in North Korea, everything was state and public-owned. Although it was called public ownership system, most of the cooperative farms were run as state owned farms, thus in reality, we could call it “state-only ownership system.” However, since 1970s, the state property became privatized as personal property of Kim Il Sung and especially by Kim Jong Il, and by 1990s, all of them became Kim Jong Il’s property. In cases in many under developed countries the people in power privatized state property and steal state money. However in case of North Korea, Kim Jong Il uses all national property as if they were his personal property, not secretly, but openly. There is no one to criticize or question Kim Jong Il’s actions even he uses national assets as his own. Currently in North Korea, the state ownership is maintained artificially, but just as Brunei and other small countries, they will be privatized by one person. The people of North Korea are nothing more than laborers for Kim Jong Il’s personal factories and farms. Actually, since they have no freedom, they are more fit to be called slaves.

It is not Kim Jong Il alone who destroyed state ownership. Generally in North Korea, no one can carry activities to earn money, and if one is caught carrying out such activity, his money will be confiscated by state officials for whatever accusations they come up with, therefore most of the people hide their possessions. Another reason for this is because there are no financial institutions such as banks in North that is currently properly functioning. Since it is hard to predict the scale of underground economic activities, the experts say this underground economy must be three to four times bigger in scope than the above ground economy. Such underground economic activities are all privatized without a question. A large number of government officials are participating in such activities. This is because the bribes they receive are a kind of black money which they cannot circulate in visible economic activities, but only in underground economy. Since the above economy is all privatized by Kim Jong Il and the underground economy is privatized by all kinds of people, that state ownership in North Korea is nothing more than a mere term without much significance.

It is not only state ownership that is destroyed. The planned economy is also destroyed. Therefore the underground economy, which consists of a large party of the North Korean economy cannot enter the real planned economy. Furthermore, the markets which are considered as semi-underground economy also cannot interact with the planned economy. Due to the food crisis, various national system lost significance as part of the planned economy. The military economy and Kim Jong Il’s family economy which continuously violated the roles of the planned economy is still violating the entire planned economy of the nation. It will be not wrong to say that the planned economy is now destroyed after the food crisis in mid 1990s. After the food crisis has been somewhat alleviated, the situation is not much different. Actually the situation worsened as the importance of the underground economy increased. Under the condition where the factory activity of the nation remains at 20% and as the underground economy is growing, even the state is to plan national project, it no longer holds great significance.

Three main elements of Socialized nation, dictatorship of the Communist Party (theoretically proletarian dictatorship), nationalized regime, planned economy, are destroyed. North Korea is no longer a Socialist nation. The socialistic elements were destroyed from the end of 60s, the speed of destruction accelerated after the mid of 90s, Socialism completely destroyed.

North Korean Society is the mixture of pre-modern feudalistic dynasty, military dictatorship system and mafia. North Korean Society has most similarities with mafia.
The similarity between North Korea’s structure and Mafia is.
1) One-man leading system.
2) Management with family, relatives and aides as the central figure.
3) Military force is the most important.
4) Regard the fear factors and the fear as the root for maintaining the system
5) Emphasis the absolute loyalty toward Boss
6) Violent is the only way to overthrow the Boss
7) Cruel punishment toward the defectors
8) Greatest source of finances are through the illegal affairs (drug dealing, fake money dealing, bargaining missiles)
9) Threatening others to obtain money (threat neighboring countries, menaces)
10) Acts as a cancer in social development and isolate the society (Kim Jong Il administration is a cancer in the global arena)

The following are the main power supporting the system of North Korea
1) The person, Kim Jong Il and the power and the authority focused highly on him
2) Various fear factors and the constant fear
3) The closed system that blocked all information
4) Powerful Military strength concentrated upon Kim Jong Il with complicated equipment and relations.
Almost all Socialistic elements in North Korea has been collapsed, but they didn’t build the settled new society based on some new ideology, the present system is the result of strengthen personal dictatorship and just let it go where ever it rolls. Accordingly the present structure of North Korea is a period of transition which appears settled but leaning toward the collapse.