Disrespect of Kim Jong Il Increases

Discontent with the top leadership is growing in North Korea writes Lee Ki Dong, a Researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy. Lee published a paper entitled “An Analysis of Changes in the North Korean Political System Based on the Testimonies of Defectors.”

Though authorities hope to engrain the military-first policy and the Juche ideology as deeply as possible into the people’s minds, such efforts are coming up short, explains Lee.

Lee maintains that the military-first policy is used to control and exploit the people for the benefit of the military and “therefore, conflicts and collisions between the military and the residents happen increasingly frequently. As a result, the people’s trust in the military is greatly diminished.”

There is no sign that Kim Jong Il will abandon the military-first policy, despite the negative social costs. On the contrary, Kim wants to strengthen the functions of the National Defense Commission because Kim Jong Il believes that improving the military’s economic standing might help suppress dangerous elements.

Although, according to Lee’s analysis, the central party apparatus works just fine, there are severe breakdowns at the local level. Bureaucracy in Pyongyang still functions comparatively well, but many provincial party organizations no longer function effectively. The gap between Pyongyang and the provinces is growing.

“The governing capacity of subordinate and local party organizations damaged during the March of Tribulation [the period of mass starvation in the 1990s] have not yet been restored,” explained Lee. “Additionally, due to the corruption of the party organization, orders and instructions from the central party cannot be conveyed to local cells and local party organizations.”

As the power structure in the North changes, Kim Jong Il is forced to adapt. Writes Lee: “in the past Kim Jong Il got through domestic and international crises with the assistance of the late Kim Il Sung. Kim Jong Il made Kim Il Sung the ‘eternal Supreme Leader’ and made himself the person who received the Supreme Leader’s teachings and put them into practice. At the same time, Kim is strengthening his power and charisma by using the title ‘general.’”

However, Lee points out, “the ‘Supreme Leader system’ does not seem to be rooted in the citizens’ consciousness. Many defectors blame Kim Jong Il for operating a poor administration. These days, North Korean citizens ridicule Kim Jong Il as the ‘potbelly,’ or ‘that guy.’ This shows Kim’s fall from trust among the people.”

Over the course of its existence, North Korea has undergone several generation changes. The first revolutionary generation is the generation that fought against Japan during the colonial period. The second revolutionary generation is the Korean War and post-war generation. The third is the generation of the Three Revolutions teams in the 1970s, and lastly the fourth is the post-Three Revolutions generation.

According to Lee’s research, the highest echelons of power are occupied by members of the first and second revolutionary generations, but the third generation is taking over this central and important role. These core groups are faithful to the revolution and highly loyal to Kim Jong Il.

The most unstable generation is the fourth generation– those who have experienced the March of Tribulation and have had to take responsibility for their livelihoods by becoming kotjebi (begging persons). They are engaged in anti-socialist activities and “immoral” deviations from the path set by the leadership.