Juche
Juche is North Korea’s state ideology, emphasizing national independence, self-reliance, and the leadership of Kim Il Sung and his successors.
Kim Il Sung: The founder of North Korea, who ruled from 1948 until his death in 1994 and became the central figure in Juche. His speeches and rule established Juche as the state’s defining ideology.
Korean War: The 1950–1953 conflict between North Korea and South Korea, involving China, the United States, and other United Nations forces. War and devastation intensified the leadership’s emphasis on independence and mobilization.
Juche Tower: A monument in Pyongyang, completed in 1982, that commemorates Juche and its association with Kim Il Sung. Its monumental scale makes the ideology visible in the capital’s landscape.
Marxism-Leninism: A communist doctrine combining Karl Marx’s theories with Vladimir Lenin’s account of revolution and party rule. Juche presents itself as distinct from, rather than simply subordinate to, this tradition.
Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism: North Korea’s official doctrine, named for Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and presented as the continuation of their thought. It gives the ideology its later official form and dynastic lineage.
Sino-Soviet split: The political and ideological rupture between the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China that developed during the 1950s and 1960s. The split gave North Korea room to assert independence from both communist powers.
North Korean foreign relations: The diplomatic and strategic relationships maintained by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Juche’s claim to independence informs North Korea’s dealings with larger powers.
Maoism: A form of communist theory and practice associated with Mao Zedong and the Chinese Revolution. Both stress revolutionary independence, but Juche centers North Korea’s own leadership and national path.
Suryong: A Korean political term meaning supreme leader, used in North Korea for the leader at the center of the political system. Juche’s emphasis on leadership is expressed through the supreme leader’s central authority.
August Faction Incident: A 1956 challenge to Kim Il Sung’s leadership by Korean Workers’ Party officials, followed by purges of its participants. The purge helped eliminate rival centers of authority as Juche gained prominence.