Making an appearance in the 1960s, organizational life has long been a key part of life in North Korea. Despite its decline in recent years, organizational life at its essence includes the various rituals all North Koreans must participate in that enable the state to both control their behavior and indoctrinate them.
All North Koreans must belong to a cell of at least one national organization. There are only five such organizations that every North Korean must be a member of: the Workers’ Party of Korea, the Youth Union, the Trade Union, the Farmers Union and the Women’s Union. The cells of these organizations generally consist of one or two dozen people. The cells provide opportunities for the state to both control and correct the behavior of North Koreans.
Sources and more information:
North Korean Economy Watch, JSTOR, The Asian
