Juche
state ideology of North Korea
Juche (Korean: 주체사상, romanized: juchesasang) is the group of ideas developed by North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung. Juche means "self-reliance."
Ideas
changeAccording to its supporters, Juche was developed from Marxism and Leninism. In many cases, it is different from both.
Basically, Juche says that:
- The needs of North Korea and its people are more important than the ideas of Leninism or Marxism
- North Korea is special
- The welfare of many people (who make up the nation of North Korea) is more important than the welfare of an individual
- People must design what the world should look like
- A strong leader is required to make needed reforms
- Intellectuals are important
Revolution
changeJuche says that every nation needs to drive forward its own revolution. Three things are necessary for this:
- Political independence
- Economic self-reliance
- Military independence
According to Juche, the state should make sure these three things exist.
Certain people have described these ideas as a philosophy; others see it as a religion.