Introduction
In the principles of Marxism, North Korea should be a society that should not have classes like the bourgeois and proletariat which are characteristic of a capitalist system. Marxism holds the socioeconomic ideology that everyone in a Marxist society should enjoy the benefits of labor (Kim 6). Patient modification of the class structures can not be able to reform society but a worker’s revolution can. After the de-establishment of the classes, the workers or proletariat which associates through socialism. These workers will then govern themselves without any structure of government. This is the basis of communism.
Jucheism
In North Korea, communism ceased to exist in 1977. Before that, North Korea was a Marxist society. In 1955, Kim II-Sung formally introduced the Juche ideology in his speech. He said that Juche means Chosun’s revolution and the word Chosun refers to Korea’s traditional name (Kim 9). This ideology holds that the People of the Democratic Republic of Korea are politically independent, can sustain and defend themselves economically levels. Jucheism is part of Kimilsungism (Kim-il-Sung-ism), the political system of this country.
Juchesism versus Marxism
The country changed Marxism to Jucheism for the benefit of the ruling elite. The constitution of this country does not uphold any form of international socialisms. The constitution of North Korea as of the year 2009 does not make any reference to communism. Jucheism is more of Stalinism where a leader is taken to be like a god.
This is in contrary with the way life and governance is in North Korea. The Jucheism society has acted contrary to the Marxist way of living. It dictates that all the people should be completely loyal to the leader of the Worker’s Party in Korea who is Kim Il Sung which goes against Marxist ideologies. The other one is that his rule goes against Marxism, he forces humanity to work for free or voluntarism versus Marx’s materialism (Foster-Carter).People are overworked in labor camps, lack freedom and do not enjoy the fruits of their labor according to Marxism. If they benefited from their labor, then they can be able to feed themselves and eliminate overreliance on aid. The People of North Korea have undergone massive starvation and this was witnessed after a big famine occurred in 1995.This has made them to rely on the Republic of China for aid.
The only similarity with Marxist is that it is the Worker’s Party that rules but it does not take the proletariat interest at heart. The other one is that people toil endlessly everyday of their lives. However, they do not have the freedom of working when they want. They have their power switched off by seven p.m, blocked to communicate with the outside world and have no democracy. They live in extreme poverty and work for the ruling few. In this case, instead of the proletariat benefiting, they are an exploited lot who drop and die when overcame by the will to quit.
Politically, Kim Il Sung goes against Marxism, in his leadership, they use violence and abusive language in his rule (Foster-Carter). Another is the way he has done to his rivals: “killing” them completely from history of Korea and making himself a holy king who is to be worshipped by the oppressed voluntary workers. His name is on every one’s lips and even the news agencies, murals of his face everywhere making him omniscient in North Korea just the way Stalinism ideology dictates (Foster-Carter). This is more of a cult than a Marxist rule or communism. On his policies in economic development, he remarks that North Korea is building a planned economy while doing nothing towards it rather he is living a life of luxury while his countrymen are dying poor.
Conclusion
A few words to sum up the system of governance is that, North Korea can be described as a place where communism departed ages ago (Foster-Carter). With every passing day, clothes are more ragged and faded, the belt is tighter, lips are dry and children are all clouded with hopelessness. Mankind toils in vain; till death parts him from labor and oppression.
Works Cited
Foster-Carter, Aidan. “The Koreas: Pyongyang Watch-Is North Korea Stalinist?” Asia Times Online. 2001. Web.
Kim, Jong-Il. On The Juche Idea. NY: New York, Kessinger Publishing, 2004.