On the Juche Idea

On the Juche Idea
Cover page of the English edition
AuthorKim Jong Il
LanguageKorean
Subject
Published
Publication date
1982
Publication placeNorth Korea
Published in English
1982
Media typePrint
Pages84 (English ed.)
OCLC9475822
320.5323095193
LC ClassMLCS 83/5240 (J)
On the Juche Idea
Chosŏn'gŭl
주체 사상에 대하여
Hancha
主體 思想에 對하여
Revised RomanizationJuche sasang e daehayeo
McCune–ReischauerChuch'e sasang e taehayŏ
The Juche Tower and On the Juche Idea were both introduced for the 70th birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung, whose Juche philosophy from thereon was exclusively interpreted by Kim Jong Il.

On the Juche Idea (Korean: 주체 사상에 대하여; MR: Chuch'e sasang'e taehayŏ) is a treatise attributed to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il on the North Korean Juche ideology. It is considered the most authoritative work on Juche.

The work, although probably ghostwritten for him,[3] legitimized Kim as the sole bona fide interpreter of the ideology. The treatise systemizes Kim Jong Il and his father Kim Il Sung's thought on the Juche philosophy. The treatise marks Juche's departure from the materialism of Marxism–Leninism and posits the consciousness of the masses as dependent on the working class leader.

According to Kim Jong Il, the Juche 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."[4] 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's Songun, or military first, politics.

  1. ^ "Chuch'e sasang e taehayŏ : widaehan suryŏng Kim Il-sŏng Tongji t'ansaeng 70-tol kinyŏm chŏn'guk chuch'e sasang t'oronhoe e ponaen nonmun, 1982-yŏn 3-wŏl 31-il (Book, 1982) [WorldCat.org]". worldcat.org. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  2. ^ "On the Juche idea : treatise sent to the National Seminar on the Juche Idea held to mark the 70th birthday of the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung, March 31, 1982 (Book, 1982) [WorldCat.org]". worldcat.org. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Myers2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Kim 2001, p. 386.