 Cover page of the English edition | |
| Author | Kim Jong Il |
|---|---|
| Language | Korean |
| Subject |
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| Published |
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Publication date | 1982 |
| Publication place | North Korea |
Published in English | 1982 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 84(English ed.) |
| OCLC | 9475822 |
| 320.5323095193 | |
| LC Class | MLCS 83/5240 (J) |
| On the Juche Idea | |
| Hangul | 주체 사상에 대하여 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 主體 思想에 對하여 |
| RR | Juche sasange daehayeo |
| MR | Chuch'e sasange taehayŏ |
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On the Juche Idea (Korean: 주체 사상에 대하여) is a treatise attributed toNorth Korean leaderKim Jong Il on theNorth KoreanJuche ideology. It is considered the most authoritative work onJuche.
The work legitimized Kim as the solebona fide interpreter of the ideology. The treatise systemizes Kim Jong Il and his fatherKim Il Sung's thought on theJuche philosophy. According to Kim Jong Il,Juche is not onlyMarxism–Leninism applied to the Korean revolution, but "a new phase of revolutionary theory" pioneered by Kim Il Sung.
According to Kim Jong Il, theJuche idea is composed of a philosophical principle, socio-historical principles, and guiding principles. The philosophical principle can be summarized with Kim Il Sung's maxim that "man is the master of everything and decides everything."[3] The socio-historical principles entail that the working masses are the subject of history. The guiding principles are: independent stance, creative method, and giving precedence to ideological consciousness. Emphasis on independence in particular has given raise to Kim'sSongun, or military first, politics.
On the Juche Idea is one of Kim Jong Il's major writings onJuche[4] and considered the most authoritative work on it.[5] It is a standard textbook on the subject.[6] The treatise is a systematization of bothPresidentKim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il's thought onJuche philosophy[3][7] and offers the most comprehensive account ofJuche.[5] Kim Il Sung's thought in particular began to be formulated as an original philosophy from the 1970s onward.[3]On the Juche Idea was sent to the national seminar on theJuche idea[4] on 31 March 1982 held on the occasion of the 70thbirth anniversary of Kim Il-sung (15 April).[3] The occasion was also honored with the unveiling of theJuche Tower inPyongyang.[8]
In the treatise, Kim Jong Il links the birth of theJuche idea to Kim Il Sung's personal history as a guerrilla fighter during theanti-Japanese struggle.[9]On the Juche Idea thus furtheredKim Il-sung's cult of personality.[10] Publishing the treatise helped Kim Jong Il to gain legitimacy,[11] particularly emphasizing his intellectual prowess.[12] At the time of writing Kim Jong Il was working as the ideological chief of the country on behalf of his father.[13] As the author of the treatise, Kim Jong Il became the "one and only bona fide interpreter of the 'immortal Juche idea' of Kim Il Sung."[7]
In his early years of revolutionary activities, the leader [Kim Il Sung] was well versed in Marxism-Leninism. But he did not confine himself to applying Marxism-Leninism to the Korean revolution but pioneered a new phase of revolutionary theory from a steadfast Juche-based standpoint and resolved the problems arising in the revolutionary practice from a unique angle.
Kim Jong Il explains thatJuche adheres "to the revolutionary principles of Marxism–Leninism" and develops "the revolutionary theory of the working class onto a new, higher plane." According to Kim,Juche offers not only an "independent and creative" direction to the Korean revolution, but also establishes a new era for human history.[5] It is "fundamentally opposed toidealism andmetaphysics" and "based on the premise of thematerialistic and dialectical viewpoint."
In comparison to Kim Il Sung's writings, Kim Jong Il pays particular attention toconsciousness and the concept of the leader. These two are often linked.[15] According toCharles K. Armstrong, the main message of the treatise is that "regardless of material circumstances, the masses owe unquestioning obedience to the Great Leader, who alone can bring the masses to consciousness", adding that the "message would be extremely useful for the North Korean state in the difficult years ahead", referring to thedeath of Kim Il-sung and theArduous March in the 1990s, a decade after the publication ofOn the Juche Idea.[16]
InOn the Juche Idea, Kim Jong Il dividesJuche into three components: the philosophical principle, the socio-historical principles, and the guiding principles of theJuche idea.[3]
The philosophical principle entails thatJuche is aman-centered philosophy. Man has independence(자주성,Chajusong),creativity [ko](창조성, Changjosong) andconsciousness [ko](의식성, Uisiksong), which places man at the center of the world. This is described by the maxim coined by Kim Il Sung in a 1972 interview with Japanese journalists: "man is the master of everything and decides everything."[3] Man transforms the world[7] and embodiesChajusŏng [ko], or independence and autonomy.[10] By putting man at the center, Kim Jong Il denies the existence of any supernatural power, although theJuche philosophy itself can be said to havequasi-religious elements.[7]
The socio-historical principles ofJuche can be summarized as follows: the working masses are the subject of history.[3] Human history is the struggle of the masses to realize their independence and defend it. Man's socio-historical mission is to transform both nature and society.[17]
There are three guiding principles inJuche:
On the Juche Idea has been since used as a justification for Kim Jong Il'sSongun, or army-first, politics. The justification can be found in an aspect of one of the guiding principles ofJuche, which Kim has "elevated": self-reliance in defense.[19] Kim went on to publish "The Workers' Party of Korea Is aJuche-type Revolutionary Party which Inherited the Glorious Tradition of theDIU(조선로동당은 영광스러운 ㅌ.ㄷ.의 전통을 계승한 주체형 혁명적 당이다)" in October 1982 and focusing in it more on Kim Il Sung's guerrilla activities.[16]
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