The Paradox of North Korea's Ideological Radicalism: Shaky Social Basis of Strengthening Ideological Campaigns

North Korea is a socialist "dynasty" shrouded in secrecy. The regime's inconsistencies leave even the best of North Korean specialists and commentators befuddled as the country's actions invalidate their predictions. One must, however, understand North Korea's sociopolitical ideology in order to appreciate its inconsistencies as a regime. This paper will discuss the impact of North Korea's ideology in historical and sociopolitical context, as well as show the depth of ideological penetration into every layer of its society. The Juche ideology that has characterized the regime is a peculiar combination of nationalism, Marxism, and Confucianism. Since Kim Il-Sung's death, however, and the succession to power of his son, Kim Jong-Il, North Korea's ideology has metamorphosed into a series of sub-ideologies. The purpose of this paper is to elaborate on the process by which North Korean ideology changed and the paradox between the rise in ideological rhetoric and the weakening legitimacy of the regime under Kim Jong-Il.