Songbun and the five castes of North Korea | NK News
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October 02, 2026Oct 02, 2026

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Songbun and the five castes of North Korea

Source indicates that social classification system has more classes – and criteria – than previously thought

The most important element in the social structure of Kim Il Sung’s North Korea was the infamous songbun system. This system was established in the late 1950s and came into full power somewhere around 1967. It divides the population into groups, according to the actions and status of their paternal ancestor (and themselves, depending on their age) during the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War. Songbundetermined, among other things, whether one was allowed to live in the capital or in special cities like Kaesong and later Rason, the workplace one is allocated and what kind of education one