Overview
This lecture examines the history, structure, and ongoing succession challenges of North Korea's Kim dynasty, focusing on the mechanisms of control, propaganda, and the family’s grip on power.
The Kim Dynasty and Totalitarian Control
- North Korea has been ruled by the Kim family for over 70 years through totalitarian control.
- Any dissent is met with severe punishment, including execution or hard labor.
- The regime restricts information and contact with the outside world.
- The leadership is presented as a hereditary right, known as the “Paektu bloodline.”
Cult of Personality and State Ideology
- Kim Il-sung established a cult of personality drawing from Soviet, Confucian, Joseon, and Christian traditions.
- State propaganda presents Kim Il-sung as a semi-divine figure.
- The regime controls all media and information within the country.
- North Korea uses a unique calendar starting from Kim Il-sung’s birth year, 1912.
Leadership Succession and Instability Risks
- Succession is constitutionally mandated to remain within the Kim family.
- Kim Il-sung was succeeded by Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-il by Kim Jong-un.
- Kim Jong-un took power at age 28 with little experience, leading to succession uncertainties.
- The question of succession creates potential for regime instability, especially due to the lack of a clear heir.
The Role of Kim Yo-jong and Other Contenders
- Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un’s sister, holds key roles in propaganda and inter-Korean relations.
- She is being groomed for potential leadership, despite North Korea’s patriarchal structure.
- Other possible successors include Kim Jong-chul (brother, uninterested), Kim Han-sol (nephew, in hiding), and Kim Pyong-il (uncle, former diplomat).
- Non-family elite Choe Ryong-hae is powerful but lacks the Paektu bloodline.
Mechanisms of Power Consolidation
- Kim Jong-un has used purges and executions to eliminate rivals, including his uncle Jang Song-thaek and half-brother Kim Jong-nam.
- Family members can be both trusted aides and potential threats.
- Loyalty and military credibility are seen as essential for legitimacy.
Societal Changes and Regime Stability
- The 1990s famine led to the emergence of informal markets, increasing self-reliance among the populace.
- The government now regulates, but cannot eliminate, these markets.
- Smuggled foreign media exposes North Koreans to outside information, sparking curiosity and questioning.
- Widespread repression and harsh punishments prevent organized resistance or uprisings.
International Implications
- Instability in North Korea concerns the US, China, and South Korea due to risks of war, refugee flows, and nuclear weapons.
- Both China and the US prioritize stability over other concerns in North Korea.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Totalitarian control — A system where the state holds complete authority over society and controls all aspects of life.
- Paektu bloodline — The claimed sacred lineage of the Kim family, believed to originate from Mt. Paektu.
- Cult of personality — Intense, state-driven veneration of a leader, often with godlike attributes.
- Juche — North Korea’s state ideology of self-reliance.
- Propaganda — Information, often biased, used to promote a political cause or point of view.
- Patriarchy — A social system in which men hold primary power.
- Regime purge — The deliberate removal of perceived threats by the ruling elite, often violently.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review key figures in the Kim family and their roles in succession.
- Understand the structure of North Korea’s propaganda and control mechanisms.
- Prepare for discussion on the impact of marketization and foreign media in North Korea.