By Gina Jeong ’25
Through K-pop, K-dramas, and food, the world is well acquainted with South Korea today. But what about its other half, North Korea? Cloaked in the iron shield the nation-state has created, many aspects of North Korea remains hidden. Despite the country’s efforts to remain in secrecy, information leaks out, informing the rest of the world. The Kim dynastic regime, also known as Baekdu bloodline, that has been reigning the country ever since it was established, is currently facing instability. Based on accessible information to the public, this article summarizes the beginning of the dynastic regime in North Korea, and its current standing today.
The Soviet occupation was pivotal in shaping the North Korean system north of the 38th parallel following Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945. Shortly after, on August 17, Cho Man-sik’s ‘Pyeongannam-do Preparatory Committee’ and Hyun Jun-hyuk’s ‘Joseon Communist Party’s Pyeongannam-do District Committee’ emerged, but their actions came under Soviet control as troops were stationed in the area. Kim Il-sung and other members of the ’88 Special Brigade’ became central figures in the new regime. Following Stalin’s directive to establish a bourgeois democratic government, the Soviet military began organizing a central administrative system and party support structure in October 1945. By February 1946, the ‘North Korea Provisional People’s Committee’ was formed, functioning as a provisional government with executive and legislative authority, though under Soviet oversight. In February 1947, the North Korean People’s Assembly replaced the provisional committee and prepared for state-building, including creating the Korean People’s Army and drafting a constitution. The Korean People’s Army was formally established in February 1948, and by April, the North Korean People’s Assembly approved the draft constitution. In August, 212 delegates were elected to the Supreme People’s Assembly. The first meeting of this assembly was held in September 1948, during which the “Constitution of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” was officially adopted and Kim Il-sung was appointed as the Prime Minister, marking the formal establishment of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Today, North Korea is governed by Kim Jong-un, the third dictator in its generational leadership. His rise to power began in September 2010 when he was introduced in the media as the successor to his father, Kim Jong-il. On September 27, he was given the military rank of ‘captain’ by order of the supreme commander of the People’s Army, and the next day he was appointed vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party, solidifying his status as heir. Following his father’s death on December 17, 2011, Kim Jong-un assumed the highest roles in the party, government, and military. He was declared ‘supreme leader of the party, army, and people’ at Kim Jong-il’s memorial service on December 29, and was named supreme commander of the People’s Army the next day. Kim Jong-un cemented his control in 2012 by becoming the first secretary of the Workers’ Party and the first vice chairman of the National Defense Committee. In terms of policy, he launched the ‘Byeongjin route’ in 2013, aiming to balance economic growth with nuclear development. Five years later, in April 2018, he declared the route a success and shifted focus toward economic development.
The North Korean government has utterly failed to serve and protect its people, as evidenced by its abysmal human rights record. Systematic and widespread abuses are rampant, including the denial of basic needs like food, the use of arbitrary detention, and inhumane treatment within its notorious prison camps. These camps, known for their brutal conditions, subject detainees to torture and severe mistreatment. The regime also suppresses fundamental freedoms, severely restricting freedom of expression and movement, while punishing any form of dissent with harsh imprisonment. Additionally, North Korea has been involved in enforced disappearances, even abducting foreign nationals, further demonstrating its disregard for human rights. Despite multiple efforts by international bodies, such as the UN’s Special Rapporteur, to engage the regime in improving these conditions, North Korea has consistently refused to cooperate, showing its indifference to the well-being of its citizens. The government’s actions reflect a regime more concerned with control than fulfilling its responsibilities to its people, making it one of the worst violators of human rights globally.
The North Korean government is increasingly losing support from its own people, as shown by the growing dissatisfaction among defectors regarding the country’s leadership and living conditions. According to a report from South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, only 29.4% of defectors who fled between 2016 and 2020 believed that North Korea’s hereditary Baekdu bloodline leadership should be maintained, a significant drop from the 57.3% who supported it before 2000. Meanwhile, the percentage of defectors who opposed the leadership system rose to 53.9%, reflecting widespread disillusionment with Kim Jong-un’s regime. Economic hardships further fuel this dissatisfaction, with 72.2% of recent defectors reporting that they never received food rations, a sign of the regime’s failure to provide basic necessities. Additionally, over 70% of defectors admitted they relied on markets for food, as the state-run rationing system remains broken since the 1990s. External influences are also increasing, with 83.3% of recent defectors admitting they watched foreign media, showing a rising awareness of the outside world. Despite the regime’s attempts to tighten social control, surveillance, and censorship, the disconnect between the government and its people continues to widen.