Why is North Korea an communist country?

Answer 1

In the 20th century, a wave of communism swept through Asia, causing revolutionary uprisings in many Asian countries. In Korea, a revolutionary war was fought between 1950 and 1953. Korean communists received aid from the already communist China to the north, while the southern government received aid from the US, which used Japan to the south as a base.

Answer 2

Not quite, With North Korea straddled between China and the Soviet Union, Kim-Il-Sung often took a middle road between aligning himself with Marxist-Leninism or Maoism and over time North Korea has actually departed from both forms of mainstream Communism. Before 1953, North Korea was heavily influenced by Stalinism and his Soviet benefactors. However, after Stalin was denounced as a counter-revolutionary, Kim Il Sung sided with China against the Soviet Union. Maoism did not work out for long for Kim, as the cultural revolution in China in 1967 was contradictory to Kim's wishes for stable Dictatorship. North Korea reestablished good relations with the Soviet Union under Brezhnev, who was a Neo-Stalinist, but Kim decided to keep both countries at an arms length by creating the Juche philosophy. Juche became Kim Il Sung's personal combination of extreme nationalism, militarism, totalitarian absolutism and godlike worship of Kim-Il-Sung himself. Kim eventually went against all communist tradition by promoting a divine monarchist philosophy which allowed Kim-Il-Sung to be succeeded by his son Kim-Jong-Il. Kim-Jong-Il has moved away from Communism even further, through his "Songun" or "Military First" policy, which states that the Korean Army is the driving force of the revolution. The Songun policy blatantly contradicts all previous ideas of Marxism which state the the working class are the driving force of the revolution. As Kim-Jong-Il prepares to be succeeded by the third "Immortal Sun of Juche" of the Kim Dynasty, he has made altercations to the countries' constitution that remove all references to Communism as the state ideology

Answer 3

That depends on if you consider Stalinism true communism. With North Korea straddled between China and the Soviet Union, Kim-Il-Sung often took a middle road between aligning himself with Marxist-Leninism or Maoism and over time North Korea has actually departed from both forms of mainstream Communism. Before 1953, North Korea was heavily influenced by Stalinism and his Soviet benefactors. However, after Stalin was denounced as a counter-revolutionary, Kim Il Sung sided with China against the Soviet Union. Maoism did not work out for long for Kim, as the cultural revolution in China in 1967 was contradictory to Kim's wishes for stable dictatorship. North Korea reestablished good relations with the Soviet Union under Brezhnev, who was a Neo-Stalinist, but Kim decided to keep both countries at an arms length by creating the Juche philosophy. Juche became Kim Il Sung's personal combination of extreme nationalism, militarism, totalitarian absolutism and godlike worship of Kim-Il-Sung himself. Kim eventually went against all communist tradition by promoting a divine monarchist philosophy which allowed Kim-Il-Sung to be succeeded by his son Kim-Jong-Il. Kim-Jong-Il has moved away from Communism even further, through his "Songun" or "Military First" policy, which states that the Korean Army is the driving force of the revolution. The Songun policy blatantly contradicts all previous ideas of Marxism which state the the working class are the driving force of the revolution. As Kim-Jong-Il prepares to be succeeded by the third "Immortal Sun of Juche" of the Kim Dynasty, he has made altercations to the countries' constitution that remove all references to Communism as the state ideology.

Read more: Is_North_Korea_Still_communist

Answer 4

They did not choose to have a communist government. After the end of World War 2, Japan surrendered, and gave up Korea to the allies. this meant Korea was split into two, the North was given to the Soviet Union, and the south to the USA. Because the Soviet Union at the time were communist, they decided to put a communist dictator, Kim Il Sung, in charge.

Answer 5

Towards the end of World War 2 Soviet Russia declared war on Japan and attacked them in Manchuria and Korea.

When the war ended Soviet Russia was in control of the northern part of Korea and wished to establish a friendly government there. As Russia was then a communist country it was natural for them to help to establish a communist style government in Korea.

Answer 6

Korea remains under the control of the facially Communist regime of the Kim Dynasty because any possibility of reform is closely blocked and monitored by the Kims. Any attempt to introduce new ideas to Korea is met by stern repression and violence. There are concentration camps throughout the country where torture is inflicted on dissidents up to the point of death.

Answer 7

It really isn't a communist country any more. The Kims' Ideology is Juche.

Answer 8

North Korea is not communist nor has it ever really been it is a Dictatorship directed by the state 'Juche' Ideology.