Irrespective of any establishment that exists on earth, political socialization is a source of inputting, outputting, and recycling all the resources for sustaining establishment. Therefore, researches into political socialization is considered as an important access method for political stability and development in socialist country as well as democratic country. Specifically, in occasion of divided country like South and North Korea that is in feud and confrontation, it is worth to make researches into each other's political socialization method and process.
Due to anti-Cold War mood in the 1990s, North Korea was forecasted that there would be some positive change made by escaping in incestuous environment. After historic South-North summit held on June 15, 2000, North Korea have been trying to show us that they are willing to change in some ways. However, those changes have been limited in urgent part or field to maintain their regime. In particular, as shown in recent nucleus development ripple that becomes a real hot issue in the international society, their intension on changes in political issues is focusing on escaping from the current crisis rather than focusing on positive political changes we expect.
Also, as appeared in the new year's message, North Korea is still intending society heavily depending on ideology. In order to know what kind of society North Korea aims and pursues, researches into political socialization that they seek is certainly necessary.
The main objective of this paper is not only to figure out causes of changing North Korea's political socialization and its progressing process but also to know its limits and ways to overcome. A method of the study is based on the corresponding access method to overcome insularism which depends on specific access method, and analyzed contents laying stress on bibliographic data.
North Korea's political socialization environment is classified as one and only party despotic establishment, leader control establishment, establishment under the hereditary leadership, and establishment under the military-focused leadership. Human style that North Korea seeks is based on not only human creation armed by peculiar Juche Idea but also ideal model seeking by socialist country.
Political socialization process in North Korea can be divided into five periods : induction and grafting of Communist idea (1945∼late 1950s), foundation of the establishment controlled by one and only leader (1960∼1970s), dictation by Kim 11-sung & image making of Kim Jong-Il (1980s), sudden change and transition of socialist country (1990s), establishment controlled by Kim Jong-11 (1998∼present).
Socialism theory adopted in the early days of Soviet Union had been applied in North Korea's political socialization process. This trial contributed in some degree in politics' target achievement that was social revolution and construction based on socialism. However, as Juche Idea was risen, North Korea's political socialization process became subject to Juche Idea. After that, political socialization process has been processed consistently with firmly establishing one and only dictatorship by Kim II-sung.
In the late 1990s, socialistic countries experienced sudden change in their ideology, and Kim jong-11 dictated North Korea as of 1998. During this period, various political socialization ideologies were introduced. However, these ideologies were not able to change the basic concept of Juche Idea and considered as an impermanent phenomenon caused by change of domestic and international political circumstance.
North Korea has made every effort to establish Kim 11-sung & Kim Jong-Il regime. In particular, North Korea administration is concerned deep on political socialization from North Korean's infancy days to make human style they seek. Students in North Korea are mobilized in priority in several social groups during their school days. Also, they are controlled with various social club's thorough guidances. North Korea administration is regularizing residents through political party, Boy Scouts, young man alliance and so on. And, they progress continuous political resocialization through these kinds of organization life. Mass media is also under perfect control and playing instigation function for North Koreans' ideology armament. In addition, the party is running function that compose and operate people thoroughly so that public mobilization may be possible for socialism revolution. Specially, North Korea administration is strengthening political education using systematized organization and applying various ways in military to make amenable soldiers to the party.
In order to analyze how Kim Jong-I1 Dividing responds against limits of political socialization, I divided limits into two ways : contents and methodologies. As s result, North Korea's political socialization is appeared to have three characteristics of closeness, collectiveness and uniformity, and formed dual psychological structure that is unable to cure because of establishment of politics preferential to all other things. "Politics preferential to all other things" caused more serious problems in North Korea since it ignored human beings' creativeness and diversity in thoughts.
Each individual in North Korea is showing dual political attitudes by hiding their political preference internally and showing obedience externally. Also, they are showing preference to individualistic value and attitude over group principle. This fact means that tendency to prefer individualism and pragmatism is rising in North Korea rather than beliefs in ruling ideology. If North Korea administration's propelling policies to overcome economic crisis and international isolation get into trouble, North Korean people might show excessive individualistic actions such as avoidance or escape from North Korea that have already reached hundreds of thousands. In case that situation is getting more and more serious, North Koreans are previewing that they may do public resistance against North Korea administration in the worst case.
When taking into account that North Korea's political socialization is persistent revolution program affecting society, culture, education, and so on, the formation of such dual psychological structure can be striking in the direction of political socialization that North Korea administration seeks.
In order to overcome these kinds of limits of political socialization, North Korea administration promotes new political concepts such as reformation, military first policy and the like. However, these ways are not large scaled reorganization executed by former Soviet Union or China. Instead, they are trying to jumping into the next level in terms of politics and economic conditions through raising IT industry without changing its socialistic establishment. In this process, Kim Jong-11 makes use of military forces which are running their own business excellently and is trying to spread the exemplary business methods to others.
Changes in political socialization can be expected in two ways. First, political socialization is likely to be strengthened in the wave of opening to the other world. Second, changes in political socialization might happen because of the collapse of the establishment caused by not overcoming its limits. From the short-term point of view, North Korea administration is expected to enforce political education. In long-term, they are expected method of political socialization to change in a way to create new type of human style.
There exists limitation in this paper because this paper is written from the standpoint of a instructer rather than a learner. However, this paper is not only helpful to explain how North Koreans explode contents of political socialization in North Korea and the belief system that is internalized on North Korean's heart according to domestic environment changes but also effective for grilling examination on how to cope with this kind of changes. Also, it is meaningful that approach with theoretical system has been made, and contents of political education in military are explained in detail.
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