Solidarity and Self-Reliance: The Antinomies of North Korean Foreign Policy and Juche Thought, 1953-1967
Open AccessThis dissertation identifies the pragmatic origins of North Korea's political ideology, Juche Thought, and the development of its three practical applications (Jaju, Jarip, Jarip) from 1953 to 1967. During this period, Juche Thought evolved from an amorphous idea of independence and self-reliance, into a complete set of practical policy applications designed to limit the influence of North Korea's putative allies on political and economic developments. Finally, Juche was transformed into a tool for suppressing pluralism in the DPRK and eliminating foreign influences. This is the first work to fully explicate this transformative process by using newly available evidence from the archives of North Korea's former communist allies, published North Korean speeches, and the existing literature.By shedding new light on the evolution of Juche and each of its three practical applications between 1953 and 1967, we can understand why North Korean leaders, driven by their postcolonial revolutionary nationalism, felt they could no longer operate exclusively within the limiting confines of the international socialist system, with its own vertical power structure that placed North Korea in a subservient position to Moscow and Beijing. An analysis of this critical period also enables us to understand how the DPRK was transformed into a repressive dictatorship, with Kim Il Sung employing Juche as a tool to suppress pluralism inside the DPRK, and to resist socialist imperialist intrusion.
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