Revival of ‘Three Revolutions’ a sign Kim Jong Un is losing ideological control

Analysis

Revival of ‘Three Revolutions’ a sign Kim Jong Un is losing ideological control

Short turnaround since last conference suggests North Korea aims to root out anti-socialist ideas, boost production

Benjamin R. Young November 22, 2021

Revival of ‘Three Revolutions’ a sign Kim Jong Un is losing ideological control

Eric Lafforgue (May 18, 2009) | North Korea workers ride in a truck with red flags in North Pyongan Province

North Korean state-run media recently reported that exemplary workers gathered in Pyongyang for the “5th Conference of Frontrunners of the Three Revolutions,” a mere six years after the last conference.

Three Revolutions refers to radical change in the areas of culture, ideology and technology, and it began as an ideological and cultural movement during Kim Il Sung’s time.

About the Author

Benjamin R. Young

Benjamin R. Young is an Assistant Professor of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness at VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University). He is the author of Guns, Guerillas, and the Great Leader: North Korea and the Third World (Stanford University Press, 2021). He received his Ph.D. from The George Washington University in 2018. He has previously taught at the U.S. Naval War College and Dakota State University. He has published peer-reviewed articles on North Korean history and politics in a number of scholarly journals and is a regular contributor to NK News.

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