Juche - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Juche (Korean: 주체사상, romanized: juchesasang) is the group of ideas developed by North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-il . Juche means "self-reliance." Juche is inspired by Leninism, Stalinism, and Maoism. It is more extreme than Nazism, Fascism, Leninism, Stalinism, Maoism, National Bolshevism and even more extreme than East Germany (under Walter Ulbricht and Erich Honecker) and Cambodia (under Pol Pot).

According to its supporters, Juche was developed from Marxism and Leninism. In many cases, it is different from both. Basically, Juche says that:

• The needs of North Korea and its people are more important than the ideas of Leninism, Stalinism, Maoism or Marxism.
• North Korea is special.
• The welfare of many people (who make up the nation of North Korea) is more important than the welfare of an individual.
• People must design what the world should look like.
• A strong leader is required to make needed reforms.
• Intellectuals are important.

Juche says that every nation needs to drive forward its own revolution. Three things are necessary for this:

1. Political independence
2. Economic self-reliance
3. Military independence

According to Juche, the state should make sure these three things exist.

Certain people have described these ideas as a philosophy; others see it as a religion.

• North Korea
• East Germany
• Marxism
• Leninism
• Stalinism
• Maoism