By Maria Siow | Posted: 12 April 2012 1742 hrs
 | ||||||
 View over the North Korean capital with the distinct Juche tower rising over Pyongyang (photo: Ken Teh, Channel NewsAsia) | ||||||
  | ||||
PYONGYANG: As North Korea gears up
for the 100th anniversary celebration of Kim Il Sung, much of the emphasis has
been placed on the juche doctrine he propagated.
In Pyongyang, a conference on the juche ideology is attended by representatives from countries such as Japan, Spain, Malta, Switzerland and Norway.
Known as the policy of self-reliance, juche was first mentioned in 1955 as a critical response to those who wanted to adopt the Soviet model.
Kim Il Sung believed that Koreans should stop taking cues from foreign powers and should be masters of their own destinies.
The primary goals of juche are economic independence and military self-defence.
Juche is a combination of Stalinist political principles, Confucian social values, and Korean nationalism.
Over time, it replaced Marxism Leninism and became North Korea's state ideology.
North Korean authorities have often suggested that the juche ideology has universal and popular support, and that was indeed the case in the 60s and 70s when the North Korean economy was relatively more prosperous as compared to many developing countries at that time.
In those early years, many juche study groups were also set up in various parts of the world. But now, apart from academics, idealists, and those on the political fringe, juche has little traction around the world.
Critics have argued that the situation in North Korea bears no resemblance to the juche theory, as the country is heavily dependent on imports and foreign aid.
But the ideology is still a source of inspiration to the young in North Korea.
Son Ryu-jin, a college student said: "Juche ideology is the guiding ideology of our Party. I think it is one of the best textbooks we must uphold for our lives."
Students from the Kim Il-sung University also see juche as the guiding principle in their lives.
Chang Kyok, a student from Kim Il-Sung University, said: "I'm a post-graduate student. After I graduate, combined with my own wishes, I will go to anywhere my country needs me."
But as North Korea sticks to an outdated ideology, many see it as a self-serving if not desperate attempt to cling on to power. (Phill Sherrod)
In Pyongyang, a conference on the juche ideology is attended by representatives from countries such as Japan, Spain, Malta, Switzerland and Norway.
Known as the policy of self-reliance, juche was first mentioned in 1955 as a critical response to those who wanted to adopt the Soviet model.
Kim Il Sung believed that Koreans should stop taking cues from foreign powers and should be masters of their own destinies.
The primary goals of juche are economic independence and military self-defence.
Juche is a combination of Stalinist political principles, Confucian social values, and Korean nationalism.
Over time, it replaced Marxism Leninism and became North Korea's state ideology.
North Korean authorities have often suggested that the juche ideology has universal and popular support, and that was indeed the case in the 60s and 70s when the North Korean economy was relatively more prosperous as compared to many developing countries at that time.
In those early years, many juche study groups were also set up in various parts of the world. But now, apart from academics, idealists, and those on the political fringe, juche has little traction around the world.
Critics have argued that the situation in North Korea bears no resemblance to the juche theory, as the country is heavily dependent on imports and foreign aid.
But the ideology is still a source of inspiration to the young in North Korea.
Son Ryu-jin, a college student said: "Juche ideology is the guiding ideology of our Party. I think it is one of the best textbooks we must uphold for our lives."
Students from the Kim Il-sung University also see juche as the guiding principle in their lives.
Chang Kyok, a student from Kim Il-Sung University, said: "I'm a post-graduate student. After I graduate, combined with my own wishes, I will go to anywhere my country needs me."
But as North Korea sticks to an outdated ideology, many see it as a self-serving if not desperate attempt to cling on to power. (Phill Sherrod)
No comments:
Post a Comment