Pre Modern Politics In North Korea

As humanity has progressed through modernity, it is apparent that a multitude of pre-modern political elements have remained prevalent. Although political systems in the present day continue to develop and gradually approach an “ideal type” liberal democracy, traditional values and concepts still retain a foothold within every political system. While the progression of modern politics has seen a theoretical abandonment of power based on ascriptive characteristics, putting this into practice has been nearly completely unsuccessful. In these cases, it can be argued that these pre-modern values inhibit and endanger the existence of a liberal democracy. Contrastingly, while the preservation of the monarchy theoretically threatens the liberal democracy, …show more content…
While the country is not officially understood to be a monarchy North Korea does employ a re-modern, traditional form of authority within its government, while simultaneously using the highly modern concept of a “cult of personality,” in which a government uses wide-spread propaganda to idealize a ruler. The application of these two political methods has created a powerful hybrid form of governance that relies on the strengths of one another to form a new, evolved form of leadership. In North Korea, the communist government claims to place power among its workers, however, true power lies with Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, who obtained his power through his ancestry, a crucial element in Weber’s idea of traditional authority. The cult of personality that has been developed regarding Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un adopts a fusion of both pre-modern and modern politics as it uses mass media and public education to establish a god-like status to its leaders, similarly to pre-modern concepts like the Mandate of Heaven. By enforcing the idea that the nation’s leaders are divine beings through propaganda, North Koreans are indoctrinated into an incredibly nationalistic ideology that theoretically prohibits them from opposing the government. Additionally, although North Korean government has become increasingly patrimonial as Kim …show more content…
As pre-modern politics continues to present itself within modern political settings, pre-modern practices have adapted to work dynamically with modern political practices. While the governments of North Korea and the Philippines have shown how dangerous and draconian pre-modern politics have been imposed in the contemporary era, nations like the United Kingdom have demonstrated ways in which pre-modern political institutions and ideals can actually work to bolster the liberal