The Korean peninsula was unified until the Korean War, after which it was divided into two nation-states existing on opposing sides of the Cold War; the two countries still lack formal relations. Under the nation’s founder and first leader, Kim Il-sung, the political ideology of Juche, or 'self-reliance', was devised and implemented. Its major components included the promotion of Korean nationalism and the creation of a planned industry-based economy, extensive militarization, and a belief that the Kim family is distinctively talented and accomplished. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the DPRK became increasingly reliant on China. It frequently struggled with a weak economy, and millions of people died from starvation during that same decade. North Koreans’ access to education, healthcare, and employment is directly impacted by their level of “songbun” - their history of allegiance to the ruling party. In 2014, a major United Nations (UN) report found that the Kim regime has committed crimes against humanity.  

In particular, women face pervasive human rights abuses including sexual and gender-based violence. Despite constitutional guarantees of women’s equality, social structures and conventions that discriminate against women extend through education, workplace, marriage and family life. Recent progress made on women’s representation in leadership has not yielded policy changes in favor of gender equality. 

Particularly after the ascension of Kim Jong-un as Supreme Leader in 2012, the country has pursued an increasingly confrontational foreign policy and has begun to modernize its military, already the fourth-largest in the world. This emphasis on military power poses a significant challenge for the other sectors of the economy, as a dire shortage of food and medicine adds to the country’s already atrocious human rights record. As one of only a handful of nuclear powers in the world, the country has been the subject of frequent sanctions due to its frequent ballistic missile tests.    

In the years ahead, it will be critical to watch how the regime may act to further its militarization and entrench its nuclear power. South Korean policy toward the North has long focused on rapprochement and economic support with the eventual goal of reunification, and it is also important to watch how this relationship develops. Poor performance across all major indicators of democratic performance will continue to present myriad challenges for the DPRK in the near future. 

Last Updated: June 2024