Juche is often translated by non-Korean sources as "self-reliance". Though Juche entails a self-reliant philosophy, it would be a grave injustice to confine it to this as Juche is an idea which encompasses both the microcosmic and macrocosmic levels of the individual and society, and the power dynamic which runs through both. As the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has been the only state to truly implement and put into practice the idea of Juche fully (though it has been utilized in various forms in the past in some ways) many of the specifics of Juche are specific to Korea… though since each nation has its unique qualities theoretically the outcome of Juche could differ for another society, though importantly the methodology and principle would remain the same. This is the first quality of the Juche idea, that it is a sword in that it is built like a weapon, but that how it is used and by whom judges the result of its usage.
It is important to note that in its context Juche, as developed by Kim Il Sung in Korea, had grown from a Marxist-Leninist ideological basis. Though it borrows from Marxism-Leninism in that Juche realizes the progressive movement of history, the necessity of giving the masses the means of production, and the reality of both class struggle and imperialist dynamic holding back the creation of a classless society Juche also adds important theoretical advancements not brought about by strictly materialist concepts.
While communism had sought to upgrade the human condition, Juche seeks to upgrade the concept of human itself. Similarly, with the concept of Juche and Chajuson which is intrinsically necessary to it, the concept of Songun was furthered later on by Kim Jong Il as a specific aspect of Korean Juche. Songun is an extension and integral part implied in the Juche idea. More will be covered on Songun specifically later on.
- The masses are the origins of all revolution and are masters of that revolution. Hence, in order to evolve society or a revolutionary ideology the masses themselves must evolve. This is a cyclical process in that ideology evolves according to the masses and the masses in turn evolve the ideology. It is a continuous system of expansive growth in that ideological sovereignty gained by a people yields to finding a true will of the people and the application of that will towards building an ideal society and maintaining a correct revolutionary path for that people. Above all th
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