September 30, 2023
Analysis

With ideology of ‘Kimjongunism,’ North Korea’s leader seeks to be his own man

Report of DPRK’s new doctrine suggests Kim Jong Un wants to surpass his predecessors by copying their self-idolization

Last week, South Korea’s intelligence agency claimed that the DPRK has introduced a new ideological concept — Kimjongunism (김정은주의).

While the term has not appeared in any outward-facing propaganda from the regime thus far, Kim Jong Un’s adoption of his own “ism” apparently coincides with the removal of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il’s portraits from backdrops at major party meetings.