Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism and Marxism-Leninism
In the mid 1970s, the North Korean regime stopped presenting its governing ideology as the creative application of Marxism-Leninism. Since Kim Jong-Un took office, the Workers’ Party of Korea has endorsed Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism, an ideology based upon the theories of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il....
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2021
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| In: |
Politics, religion & ideology
Year: 2021, Volume: 22, Issue: 3/4, Pages: 351-371 |
| Online Access: |
Presumably Free Access Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In the mid 1970s, the North Korean regime stopped presenting its governing ideology as the creative application of Marxism-Leninism. Since Kim Jong-Un took office, the Workers’ Party of Korea has endorsed Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism, an ideology based upon the theories of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il. English language Commentators have long emphasized the differences between North Korean and Marxist-Leninist political theory. Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism has further emphasized these differences. It claims to have established an original political theory. This article challenges that claim. By comparing the two ideologies, it argues that Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism has inherited several political principles from Marxism-Leninism, including a commitment to working class emancipation and the core principles of socialist construction. Although Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism claims to have introduced original socialist principles, these are not that unique. Even North Korea's distinctive Songun (Military First) politics has inherited a Marxist-Leninist rationale. These political similarities illuminate both ideologies. They also expose some inconvenient truths about Marxism-Leninism. |
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| ISSN: | 2156-7697 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Politics, religion & ideology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/21567689.2021.1984235 |
