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Revision as of 12:12, 4 August 2005 by Thecunninglinguists (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Template:Koreanname north Juche (pronounced "Joo-cheh"), officially called the Juche Idea in English, is the official state ideology of North Korea. The name is Korean and means self-reliance. It states that the subject of the revolution should be the masses, not any foreign power. It further develops that the nation must rely on itself; in this sense self-reliance or autarky. Juche is based on the teachings of Kim Il-sung. There are several major differences between Juche and Stalinism.
Juche has been promoted by the North Korean government and educational system since the term was first used in a 1955 speech by Kim Il Sung. At first, the ideology consisted of two fundamental ideas: that the proletarian revolution belonged to the people, and that man is the master of the revolution.
From an economic standpoint, Juche also calls for North Korea to be self-sufficient in industry and services, while preserving the dignity and sovereignity of the entire nation, and it has been applied more strenuously since the 1960's. The economic focus has been on heavy industry, national defense, and agriculture.
The Juche-influenced Chollima (later known as Taean) economic campaign of the 1960s describes the rapid development of North Korean economy and growth, and strenghtened North Koreas independance from other nations.
In 1977, Juche replaced Marxism-Leninism in the North Korean constitution, solidifying its position in the state's government and society.
Some sociologists and other overseas scholars have likened Juche to a religious movement. Juche authorities state that the idea is a secular one and that the idea of a religious movement lacks any basis in reality as Juche only addresses the problems of life, not what happens after death.
The ideology was meant only for the North Korean national needs and was never meant to be exported outside North Korea although some people compare North Korea with Communist Romania. While Juche study groups exist in many Western countries, they are not numerous outside Japan, they are often run by enthusiasts.
Juche Calendar
The North Korean government and associated organisations use a variant of the Gregorian calendar with a "Juche" year based on 1912 C.E., the birthdate of Kim Il Sung, as year 1. As a result, the year numbering is the same as that for the "Minguo" year numbering used in Taiwan (Republic of China). Months are unchanged from the standard calendar. There was no Juche Year zero. In many instances the Juche year is given after the C.E. year, for example 27 June 2005 Juche 94. In Korean texts, the Juche year is usually put in front of the corresponding C.E. year instead.
See also
External link
- The International Institute of the Juche Idea
- Juche Idea Study Group of England
- Songun Politics Study Group USA
- Korea is one!
- Korean Friendship Association