Such an excessive personality cult of both Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il cannot but discredit and ridicule the DPRK’s reputation in the world and among progressive forces.

Basically they stopped caring. Can you blame them?

The WPK constitutes the leading political force in the DPRK, recognised as such by the current constitution. Around 10 percent of the population (approximately 2 million people) are party members: each member belongs to a cell of 10 to 100 members in a plant, cooperative or locality. The party parallels and penetrates government organisations at all levels. Its supreme organ is the National Party Congress which is supposed to be held every five years, but in fact has met only six times since 1948.

The WPK’s 6th congress in 1980 was the first in 10 years, and – with no credible explanations given – another congress has not been held since. One may wonder how democratic centralism can function in a party that has not convened its highest decision-making body for 19 years. The WPK Central Committee (about 329 members, including alternate members) should meet at least once every six months. The Politburo had 24 members in 1992 (16 of whom were alternates) and its number had fallen to 18 in 1995.

a quick check:

Wikipedia

The 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the ruling party of North Korea, was held on 6–9 May 2016. The 7th Congress was the first Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea held since the 6th Congress in 1980, despite party rules stipulating that Congresses be held every four years.

so i decided to go back and see what pro-DPRK people had to say about elections. WriteToRebel has some in-depth analysis of it here. a portion below:

The DPRK has county, city, and provincial elections to the local people’s assemblies, as well as national elections to the Supreme People’s Assembly, their legislature. These are carried out every five years.

Candidates are chosen in mass meetings held under the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland, which also organizes the political parties in the DPRK. Citizens run under these parties or they can run as independents. They are chosen by the people, not by the “party” (in fact, the parliament in the DPRK consists of three separate parties as of last election, the Workers Party of Korea, the Korean Social Democratic Party, and the Chondoist Chongu Party) .

The fact that there is only one candidate on the ballot is because there has already been a consensus reached on who should be up for nomination for that position, by the people in their mass meetings. This is a truly democratic arrangement, as it places power directly in the hands of the people rather than in the hands of wealthy “representatives” who have no idea how the majority actually live. According to one report, the median income of a member of the United States congress is 14 times that of the average citizen . It is simply impossible for them to understand the struggle of the masses. In the DPRK, by contrast, the masses advocate for themselves directly. They understand their own interests and are able to advance them openly. This is what real democracy entails.

a portion of this writing seems to be a copy pasta of this reddit comment (unknown if this is a copy as well) which sources the claims to this pdf of the "Inter-Parliamentary Union"

i used keywords to scan the document for voting practices and only found the following section on candidate selection:

The PRESIDENT thanked Mr. Li Chun Sik for his presentation and asked about the electoral system. Mr. Li Chun Sik replied that the basic provisions governing the system were laid down in the Constitution and that elections were on the basis of universal direct suffrage with a secret ballot. Constituencies elected roughly one member per 30,000 population. While candidates could be nominated by anyone, it was the practice for all candidates to be nominated by the parties. These nominations were examined by the United Reunification Front and then by the Central Electoral Committee, which allocated candidates to seats. The candidate in each seat was then considered by the electors in meetings at the workplace or similar, and on election day the electors could then indicate approval or disapproval of the candidate on the ballot paper.

now i could be misunderstanding something here (which is completely possible) but it seems like the initial nomination of a candidate is done by party members only and after that point the rest of the population is limited to discussion and approval/disapproval. i feel like this runs contrary to the "They are chosen by the people, not by the party” i quoted earlier.

keep in mind i'm not posting this to deny the achievements of the DPRK or the good morale of the people but i think it's important to know about flaws in the system and how they can be avoided in the future

edit: that same page on revisionism also has a link to this page on the DPRK's view of race:

The following is an editorial entitled, “The Idea of a Multinational, Multiracial Society Means Destruction of the Korean Nation” that ran on April 27, 2006 in Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea. Above it is a press release published in the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) about the article and summing up its conclusions. To avoid accusations of mistranslation, the original article in Korean is linked below, as well as the KCNA release summing up the article in English.

Statements like this published in the state media of a supposedly “socialist” country in the 21st century should raise concerns for anti-revisionists around the world, especially since this is not the first time official DPRK press has made nationalist and racially chauvinist statements, as evidenced by a recent article calling Obama a “monkey” as well as “dirty fellow” and somebody who “does not even have the basic appearances of a human being,” with such passages as, “It would be perfect for Obama to live with a group of monkeys in the world’s largest African natural zoo and lick the breadcrumbs thrown by spectators,” which drew widespread condemnation.

The official ideology of the DPRK is Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism, formerly just Kimilsungism, based on the Juche concept that officially supplanted Marxism-Leninism in 1972. An analysis of the features of Juche reveal that it is a brand of revisionism. Neo-Nazi white supremacists, racism and cultish behavior have also been extensively documented among pro-DPRK groups that promote Juche and Songun.

– E.S.

Rodong Sinmun Censures Theory of “Multiracial Society”

Pyongyang, April 27 (KCNA) — A strange farce to hamstring the essential characters of the Korean nation and seek for “multiracial society” is now being held in south Korea. In this regard Rodong Sinmun today runs a signed commentary, which censures the farce as an unpardonable bid to negate the homogeneity of the nation, make south Korea multiracial and Americanize it. To deny the peculiarity and advantages of the homogeneous nation now that dominationism and colonialism are posing a threat to the destiny of weak nations is a treacherous act of weakening the spirit of the nation, the commentary says, and goes on: The south Korean pro-American traitorous forces advocating the theory of “multiracial society” are riffraffs who have not an iota of national soul, to say nothing of the elementary understanding of the view on the nation and social and historic development.

If the homogeneity of the nation is not kept, the nation and the destiny of individuals cannot be defended from the U.S. dominationist moves and the attempt of the Japanese reactionaries for invasion of Korea, which is revealed in their claim to Tok Islet, cannot be checked.

The theory of “multiracial society” is a poison and anti-reunification logic aimed to emasculate the basic idea in the era of independent reunification. The anti-national logic is advocated in south Korea, contrary to the aspiration of the fellow countrymen. This is ascribable to the criminal attempt of the pro-American elements including the Grand National Party to make the north and the south different in lineages, block the June 15 era of reunification and seek the permanent division of the nation and the manipulation of the U.S. behind the scene.

The commentary calls upon the people from all walks of life in south Korea to decisively reject the anti-national moves of the sycophantic traitorous forces to tarnish the lineage of the Korean nation and obliterate it, bereft of the Juche character and national character.

https://web.archive.org/web/20150425054931/http://kcna.co.jp/item/2006/200604/news04/28.htm

The Idea of a Multinational, Multiracial Society Means Destruction of the Korean Nation

Recently, in South Korea, a strange game pursuing the weakening of the fundamental character of our race and making society “multiethnic and multiracial” is unfolding.

Those responsible for this commotion are spreading confounding rumors like South Korea is a “multiracial area” mixed with the blood of Americans and several other races, how we must “overcome closed ethnic nationalism,” and we must embrace “the inclusiveness and openness of a multiethnic nation” like the United States.

The words themselves take a knife to the feeling of our people, but even more serious is that this anti-national theory of “multiethnic, multiracial society” has already gone beyond the stage of discussion. Already, they’ve decided that from 2009, content related to “multiracial, multiethnic culture” would be included in elementary, middle and high school textbooks that have until now stressed that Koreans are the “descendents of Dangun,” “of one blood line” and “one race,” and to change the terms “families of international marriage” and “families of foreign laborers” to “multicultural families.” This is an outrage that makes it impossible to repress the rage of the people/race.

To start from the conclusion, the argument for “multiethnic, multiracial society” cried for by pro-American flunkeyists in South Korea is an unpardonable argument to obliterate the race by denying the homogeneity of the Korean race and to make an immigrant society out of South Korea, to make it a hodgepodge, to Americanize it.

The race (ethnic group) is a social unit of ethnic components formed historically and a community sharing the same fate, and said race exists because it has a character that distinguishes it from other races. Ethnic identity becomes an important weapon in personal and social development. Because of this, all races value their uniqueness and highlight their excellence, and by doing so give strength to awakening and unifying the components of the race. Today, with the wave of “globalization” inundating the world, nations have confronted it and insisted on their ethnic character and built walls to protect it; there is not one nation or race that has denied itself.

In a reality where domination and colonialism threatens the fates of weaker races, to deny the the uniqueness and excellence of our homogenous race is an act of treason preaching the spiritual disarmament of the race.

The pro-American traitors singing the arguments of “multiethnic, multiracial society” have not even a basic understanding of the race’s point of view or the historical development of society and are silly asses without even the slightest ethnic spirit.

Homogeneity, which no other race in the world has, is the pride of our race and becomes the source of the unity needed in the struggle for eternal development and prosperity. Because the homogeneity of the race is so precious, our people have sacrificed blood and lives to walk the long and difficult path of reunification, and now we are cultivating the June 15 era of reunification with all our patriotic fervor. If we cannot save the homogeneity of the race, we cannot protect the fate of either the race of the individual before American schemes for domination, nor can we block the schemes of the Japanese reactionaries to reinvade based on claims of sovereignty over the Dokdo islets. The anti-national character of the arguments for “multiethnic, multiracial society” is that it denies the race itself and entrusts the nation and race to the imperialists.

When people are calling for the entire people to unite their strength and reunify the Fatherland and raise up the majesty of the homogenous race, it’s a serious problem that there arguments to deny the race and obliterate the race have appeared in South Korea. Now is the era of independent unification to end 60 years of division between North and South and to establish the structural homogeneity of the race, and the trend of this age is “to handle things within the race” (uri minjok-ggiri). The argument for a “multiethnic, multiracial society” is a poison that weakens the basic ideology of this era and is anti-reunification logic. Anti-national arguments running counter to the direction of the people in South Korea is clearly the result of criminal schemes by pro-American groups, including the Grand National Party, and behind-the-scenes control by the United States to make the bloodlines of North and South different, block the June 15 era of reunification and make permanent the division of the Korean race.

The issue of mixed-race people being raised in South Korea is completely a product of U.S. military occupation of South Korea. How spiritless these fellows must be that not only do they not raise up the value of having the U.S. military withdraw to bring an end to this tragic reality, but instead are trying to make the problem part of society.

That arguments for a “multiethnic, multiracial society,” which make it impossible to repress ones racial shame and rage, are openly going around South Korea and there are moves to make them a reality shows how dangerous the criminal schemes of the United States to make the world unipolar are.

All sectors of the South Korean people must boldly reject the anti-national schemes of the flunkeyist traitors to toss aside our identity and racial character and even sully the bloodlines of our race and obliterate it. They must also raise up the values of putting the Korean race first and settling everything within our race and actively stand up in the patriotic struggle to protect the Korean race and bring about reunification.

https://web.archive.org/web/20141011203315/http://www.kcna.co.jp/calendar/2006/04/04-27/2006-0427-009.html

North Korea has some serious issues to work out and i need to take a break from this thread

Edited by Synergy (April 14, 2018 23:02:58)

You Snooze, You Lose: Army Chief Naps During Kim's Speech, May Face Execution

A screenshot has surfaced showing one of Kim Jong Un’s generals nodding off as the North Korean leader addressed the government, announcing his intention to quit the nuclear race.

As seen from the picture now circulating in Korean media, Kim’s army chief Ri Myong-su bowed his head with his eyes closed as he sits in the Supreme People’s Assembly. Another senior member of the assembly apparently caught sight of the napping Myong-su and glanced at him surprisingly, with a slight tinge of disapproval, as the leader was detailing his upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump.

Eagle-eyed internet users, who saw the original footage, however, spoke in the military bigwig's defense, saying that although the general’s neck appears limp, his hand hasn’t lost its grip and his fingers are apparently moving.

anyhoo, ground floor of next notorious, definitely real execution followed by successful necromantic revivification ritual

Ufuk_Surekli posted:

Constantignoble posted:

this screenshot

The North Korean leader apparently doesn’t fancy seeing his top officials slumping back in their chairs succumbing to an early afternoon doze, but there is one who had the audacity to disobey.

brave, inspirational napping. a courageous siesta. a fierce, bold snooze

"dare to dream"

ilmdge posted:

DPRK released their American criminals from jail and blew up a nuclear testing site and the US continued with their mock invasion and decapitation military exercises and repeatedly referred to Gaddafi who was raped. and then the US canceled the summit!

just heard a talking head guy on CNN on a waiting-area TV list off all that stuff and say, “the North Koreans will ask, what are you doing to reduce tensions? ...they don’t think like we do...” And it’s true, we don’t

Petrol posted:

shitting all over the summit plans a day after dprk literally blows up its nuclear test site in full view of an international team of journalists is classic yankee doodle diplomacy. the more things change, the more they stay the fucking same

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5b072e7ae4b0fdb2aa51ba41/amp

No you see, the dastardly Koreans "baited" Trump and he fell into their trap. If only the wise Hillary was in power to reveal the conspiracy to everyone.

sovnarkoman posted:

ahahaha wtf is going on

trump emotionally hurdled into a "preemptive cancellation" and has been backtracking

Petrol posted:

shriekingviolet posted:

normal country, of non-ghouls

lo posted:

since trump believes the last thing that anyone reasonably well informed tells him its going to be cool when hes really keen on the juche idea for about 40 minutes after the meeting