Leadership Change in North Korean Politics: The Succession to Kim Il Sung
Abstract
This report examines the prospects of the political leadership of North Korea passing from Supreme Leader Kim II Sung to his son Kim Jong II. The North Korean regime has carefully arranged the succession in order to preserve the Kim II system and his chuch'e (self-reliance) ideology. But hereditary succession is such an unusual and inappropriate way to transmit leadership in a socialist country that there are questions as to whether this arrangement will achieve its objective and whether North Korea's power structure and social integrity will remain intact after the demise of Kim II Sung. Collecting information on the inner workings of North Korean political decision making is a frustrating process. Great attention had to be paid to changes in nuance, tone and style in the North Korean source material to glean information about Kim Jong II's personality, political philosophy, and leadership strategy. The major findings of this study, drawn from various sources, especially Rodong Shinmun Daily worker, the propaganda organ of the Korean Workers' Party (KWP), are not all new. However, they do provide insights into the prospects for future leadership change. (sdw)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA216962
Entities
People
- Kong D. Oh
Organizations
- RAND Corporation