North Korean Regime of Confucian Communism

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North Korea has been in the centre of political discussions for many years, therefore much research has been done on its regime, international status, foreign policies and other matters. However, North Korea is not just a communist “hermit kingdom” created by Soviet troops during the Korean War, it is also a traditional Confucian state that shares some fundamental similarities to its neighbours. Furthermore, this same Confucianism has played an important role in the creation of the North Korean regime. Despite having been actively criticized for several centuries, this philosophy turned out to be a great tool of power legitimation and a strong base for the totalitarian state. In this essay, three topics will be discussed. Firstly, the appearance and overview of the Confucianism in the Korean peninsula – its roots and changes throughout the years. Secondly, the importance of Confucianism in North Korea with a focus on the analogy between family’s hierarchy and society’s structure. Finally, the comparison between North Korea and other Confucian states will be made for a better understanding of reasons why North Korea became the totalitarian state that it is. Confucianism, one of the most significant East Asian philosophies, had been present in the Korean peninsula since the 4th century and for many centuries had played a significant role in transforming the Korean society (Lipman 45). Despite its roots in the contemporary Ming China, Koreans adopted the fundamentals of the philosophy by interpreting the classical texts. (Lipman 45) Since the beginning of its existence in the peninsula, the philosophy was more important among the elite men, it promoted feudalism and filial piety, creating an inferior group of slaves, women and com... ... middle of paper ... ...int. Levi, Nicolas, PhD. "The Importance of Confucian Values to Kim Jong Il's System." (2012): 3-18. Print. Lipman, Jonathan Neaman., Barbara Molony, and Michael Edson. Robinson. Modern East Asia: An Integrated History. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Print. Nanto, Dick K., and Mark E. Manyin. "China–North Korea Relations." North Korean Review 7.2 (2011): 94-101. Print. Savada, Andrea Matles. North Korea: A Country Study. Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, 1994. Print. Young, Whan Kihl. "The Cultural Dimension and Context of North Korean Communism." Korean Studies 18.1 (1994): 139-57. Print. Worden, Robert L., Andrea Matles Savada, and Ronald E. Dolan. China: A Country Study. Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, 1988. Print. -, -. "North Korea: The Kim Family Tree." Time. Time Inc., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014

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