Who developed Juche?
Kim Il Sung is credited with developing Juche, but it was actually created by Hwang Jang Yop in the late 1960’s. He supported Kim Il Sung and helped establish his totalitarian rule. The President, Kim Jong Il, is considered the final authority of what is Juche. Researchers of Juche look to the President as their teacher.
What is Juche?
It is a man-centered philosophy that glorifies the life of a human being and attempts to explain man’s position and role in the world. Juche says that man is the master of everything and decides everything. This phrase means he is the master of the world and his own destiny; that man decides everything means that he plays the decisive role in transforming the world and in shaping his destiny. On a whole for the nation, this means that Koreans must look to themselves to create ‘paradise on earth’ and cannot rely on foreign interference or aid. The five goals of Juche are: the justification of Kim Il Sung as dictator-god, succession of power is hereditary, national independence, national reunification, and export of the Juche system worldwide.
Why do people follow it?
In order to truly understand how appealing this idea is to a North Korean, one must know that Korea’s history is one of invasion and abuse. For someone to say that Korea will support themselves and not be interfered with by any outsiders is a very thrilling concept to most. Article 3 of the North Korean constitution says the Juche Ideology is the guiding principle for all its actions. Also, children are trained from infancy to revere the Great Leader and must attend indoctrination classes.
Political Ideology vs. Religion
Many people will try to say that Juche is merely an ideology, but its religious components cannot be ignored. (“Use of the Juche era meets the cherished desire of the Korean nation and reflects their ardent worship for President Kim Il Sung.”) The Father Kim Il Sung is known for his ‘immortal feats’, and his son, Kim Jong Il, is known for his ‘unfailing loyalty and filial piety and noble obligation’ to his father. Miracles are attributed to him. It is said that he causes the sun to break through fog, and he has the power to make trees blossom. The Korean people are known as the living body of which the Great Leader is the ‘brain’ and political life is given only through him by learning Juche ideology and sharing wealth with him. This is critical because the individual’s physical life span is seen as mortal, but the political life span is immortal so they can continue to live on in their eternal political life. A twisted concept of the Trinity is seen with Kim Il Sung as the ‘almighty, eternal Father’, Kim Jong Il as the ‘active word, the son,’ and Juche ideology as the ‘spirit of the revolution, the spirit ruling the nation, the life-giving breath’ which is represented by The Tower of the Juche Idea in Pyongyang. The only widely available books are those written by Kim Jong Il, and it is believed that they will save the nation and show the ‘path to reunification’ and eventually will save the world.
Examples of Deification
Kim Il Sung (millions of people celebrate his birthday on April 15, now called ‘Sun Day’) ‘Protector of the Political Life’, ‘Savior of their physical life’, ‘His love makes sick people well’, ‘Respected and Beloved Great Leader’, ‘the supreme brain of the nation’, ‘the head and heart of the body politic’, ‘Great Father’ ‘tender hearted father’, ‘the great sun and the great man’
Kim Jong Il: ‘Center of the Party’, ‘Dear Leader’, ‘Guiding Leader’, ‘Unprecedented Great Man’, ‘Outstanding Leader’, ‘Great Teacher’, ‘Eternal Sun’, ‘Mental Pillar’, ’savior of the nation’, ‘lodestar of nation reunification’
Kim Jong Suk (Kim Il Sung’s wife; superior to all other women in history, role model of allegiance to Kim Il Sung) ‘indomitable communist revolutionary fighter’, ‘outstanding revolutionary woman activist’, ‘the mother of the revolution and children’, ‘woman general’, ‘spirit of Mt. Paektu’, ‘the spirit of defending the leader’
Aspects of Worship
Homage: Ceremonies and symbolic acts that pay homage to Kim Jong Il and the deceased Kim Il Sung are an important part of Juche worship. A key element is paying homage to the statue of Kim Il Sung by bowing before it and laying flowers and floral baskets beneath it. When referring to the Kims in their propaganda, terms like ‘holy’, ‘sacred’, ‘immortal’, ‘homage’, and ‘prayer’ are used frequently. There are also an excessive number of songs and poems deifying them.
Kim Il Sung is credited with developing Juche, but it was actually created by Hwang Jang Yop in the late 1960’s. He supported Kim Il Sung and helped establish his totalitarian rule. The President, Kim Jong Il, is considered the final authority of what is Juche. Researchers of Juche look to the President as their teacher.
What is Juche?
It is a man-centered philosophy that glorifies the life of a human being and attempts to explain man’s position and role in the world. Juche says that man is the master of everything and decides everything. This phrase means he is the master of the world and his own destiny; that man decides everything means that he plays the decisive role in transforming the world and in shaping his destiny. On a whole for the nation, this means that Koreans must look to themselves to create ‘paradise on earth’ and cannot rely on foreign interference or aid. The five goals of Juche are: the justification of Kim Il Sung as dictator-god, succession of power is hereditary, national independence, national reunification, and export of the Juche system worldwide.
Why do people follow it?
In order to truly understand how appealing this idea is to a North Korean, one must know that Korea’s history is one of invasion and abuse. For someone to say that Korea will support themselves and not be interfered with by any outsiders is a very thrilling concept to most. Article 3 of the North Korean constitution says the Juche Ideology is the guiding principle for all its actions. Also, children are trained from infancy to revere the Great Leader and must attend indoctrination classes.
Political Ideology vs. Religion
Many people will try to say that Juche is merely an ideology, but its religious components cannot be ignored. (“Use of the Juche era meets the cherished desire of the Korean nation and reflects their ardent worship for President Kim Il Sung.”) The Father Kim Il Sung is known for his ‘immortal feats’, and his son, Kim Jong Il, is known for his ‘unfailing loyalty and filial piety and noble obligation’ to his father. Miracles are attributed to him. It is said that he causes the sun to break through fog, and he has the power to make trees blossom. The Korean people are known as the living body of which the Great Leader is the ‘brain’ and political life is given only through him by learning Juche ideology and sharing wealth with him. This is critical because the individual’s physical life span is seen as mortal, but the political life span is immortal so they can continue to live on in their eternal political life. A twisted concept of the Trinity is seen with Kim Il Sung as the ‘almighty, eternal Father’, Kim Jong Il as the ‘active word, the son,’ and Juche ideology as the ‘spirit of the revolution, the spirit ruling the nation, the life-giving breath’ which is represented by The Tower of the Juche Idea in Pyongyang. The only widely available books are those written by Kim Jong Il, and it is believed that they will save the nation and show the ‘path to reunification’ and eventually will save the world.
Examples of Deification
Kim Il Sung (millions of people celebrate his birthday on April 15, now called ‘Sun Day’) ‘Protector of the Political Life’, ‘Savior of their physical life’, ‘His love makes sick people well’, ‘Respected and Beloved Great Leader’, ‘the supreme brain of the nation’, ‘the head and heart of the body politic’, ‘Great Father’ ‘tender hearted father’, ‘the great sun and the great man’
Kim Jong Il: ‘Center of the Party’, ‘Dear Leader’, ‘Guiding Leader’, ‘Unprecedented Great Man’, ‘Outstanding Leader’, ‘Great Teacher’, ‘Eternal Sun’, ‘Mental Pillar’, ’savior of the nation’, ‘lodestar of nation reunification’
Kim Jong Suk (Kim Il Sung’s wife; superior to all other women in history, role model of allegiance to Kim Il Sung) ‘indomitable communist revolutionary fighter’, ‘outstanding revolutionary woman activist’, ‘the mother of the revolution and children’, ‘woman general’, ‘spirit of Mt. Paektu’, ‘the spirit of defending the leader’
Aspects of Worship
Homage: Ceremonies and symbolic acts that pay homage to Kim Jong Il and the deceased Kim Il Sung are an important part of Juche worship. A key element is paying homage to the statue of Kim Il Sung by bowing before it and laying flowers and floral baskets beneath it. When referring to the Kims in their propaganda, terms like ‘holy’, ‘sacred’, ‘immortal’, ‘homage’, and ‘prayer’ are used frequently. There are also an excessive number of songs and poems deifying them.
Prayer: North Koreans routinely pray for the ‘immortality’ of the deceased Kim Il Sung and for him to ‘live in their hearts’. These prayers are often offered in front of his statue or portrait. (Praying for Kim Il Sung’s immortality refers to traditional Korean belief that deceased family members remain in the family circle in spiritual form; praying to/for ancestors.)
Allegiance: Politics and religion are not seen as separate entities and unquestioning allegiance and total obedience is expected to the Great Leader. (“We should have absolute worship for and unshakeable faith in the leader and follow him with a noble sense of conscience and obligation.”) His pictures are every where and his thoughts are every where. Everyone wears a badge with Kim Il Sung’s face on it over their heart. Not having or showing allegiance is equivalent to religious blasphemy and political sedition. The people are encouraged to offer their very lives and be willing to die for Kim Jong Il because of how he works tirelessly on behalf of the people to better their lives. (“Even if we die while resolutely safeguarding the General, it is glory.”)
Pleasure Teams: These are a harem of women who provide services for Kim Jong Il and his top associates at each of the rulers villas. There are 3 classes of teams: satisfaction teams (sexual pleasure), happiness teams (massage service), and dancing teams (singing/dancing). Serving on a team is considered a ‘holy duty’ and is not a choice. All children are seen as wards of the state, so there can be no objection to them being chosen for service.
Reunification
National reunification, along Juche guidelines, is both a core belief of the Juche religion and the heartfelt desire of many Korean people. It is considered a sacred duty to reunite the country under Kim Jong Il’s rule and it is taught that continued national division threatens the very existence of the nation. Rising generations who have been indoctrinated are determined to achieve eternal prosperity in a reunited country. The U.S. and South Korea are viewed as the dissenters who are preventing reunification by their stubborn refusal to “subordinate everything to the sacred cause common to the nation, that is reunification.”
All material compiled from Juche: A Christian Study of North Korea’s State Religion This is intended as a study guide only for personal use and should not be copied or quoted for any reason. Please obtain the book from GCC’s library for further study or reference.
Reunification
National reunification, along Juche guidelines, is both a core belief of the Juche religion and the heartfelt desire of many Korean people. It is considered a sacred duty to reunite the country under Kim Jong Il’s rule and it is taught that continued national division threatens the very existence of the nation. Rising generations who have been indoctrinated are determined to achieve eternal prosperity in a reunited country. The U.S. and South Korea are viewed as the dissenters who are preventing reunification by their stubborn refusal to “subordinate everything to the sacred cause common to the nation, that is reunification.”
All material compiled from Juche: A Christian Study of North Korea’s State Religion This is intended as a study guide only for personal use and should not be copied or quoted for any reason. Please obtain the book from GCC’s library for further study or reference.
No comments:
Post a Comment