[The Editors' Verdict] Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un: What Has Changed

Hong Min (Director of North Korea Research Division, Korea Institute for National Unification)

On the 17th, it was the 9th anniversary of Kim Jong-il's death. It is also the 9th year of Chairman Kim Jong-un's rule. What differences exist between the eras of these two leaders? Attention must be paid to the 'national strategy.' The 'national strategy' is a strategy to comprehensively utilize all capabilities for the country's immediate goals and security. The national strategy inevitably reflects the leader's style and the domestic and international environment formed. Both Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un started with a common foundation called 'yuhun politics' (legacy politics). The legacy of the predecessors and the 'successor' of the anti-Japanese tradition, the legacy was the absolute justification for power succession. However, the national strategies they advocated were different.

First, the Kim Jong-il era emphasized legacy governance, Songun politics (military-first politics), our-style socialism, Red Flag philosophy, gun philosophy, and a strong prosperous nation. Kim Jong-il valued ideological 'authority' and always put ideological slogans at the forefront. It was an 'overall ideology' necessary to consciously instill a worldview in the people rather than practicality. The politics toward the people also involved market suppression policies and strengthening physical control. All ideological slogans and policies focused on regime maintenance and defensive ideology. Amid changing external circumstances and economic difficulties, regime maintenance was the focus of governance. His national strategy centered on overcoming economic difficulties, managing national crises, and external security.

Kim Jong-un also started with 'implementing the legacy.' He adopted 'Kim Il-sung-Kim Jong-ilism' as the guiding ideology. Emphasizing 'succession' with predecessors is also similar to Kim Jong-il. However, the strategic slogans are completely different from the Kim Jong-il era. They include party leadership, our nation-first principle, strategic state, socialist civilized nation, global trends, science and technology first, knowledge economy, innovation, and creativity. Most emphasize national characteristics and are practical slogans aimed at eliciting specific goals and actions. He is not interested in the philosophical systematization of ideology. In politics toward the people, he actively pursues market-utilization policies, mobility allowance, and 'people-loving politics.' Domestically, he consistently emphasizes economic innovation, and externally, the establishment of normal diplomatic relations. His national strategy is 'establishing new relations,' 'economic development,' and 'security' for these goals.

Both leaders shared the common foundation and goals of legacy, succession, and regime security, but their proclaimed national strategies differed. While the Kim Jong-il era focused on regime maintenance through overcoming economic difficulties, crisis management, and defensive foreign relations, the Kim Jong-un era focuses on external 'status change' through strengthening defense capabilities (nuclear and missile advancement), innovation and development in the economic sector, and improving North Korea-US relations. The long-term goal is to achieve economic development and create an environment where regime security can be guaranteed. It can be seen that he is staking everything on establishing a new North Korea-US relationship using denuclearization as a means.

The differences between the two leaders also appear in their power operation systems. Kim Jong-il was preoccupied with crisis management. He advocated 'Songun politics.' He governed the country through the National Defense Commission, where core elites from the party, military, and security organs gathered. The military enjoyed privileges. Party meetings that decided major national strategies and policies were rarely held after 1993. All matters were handled through Kim Jong-il's 'decisions.' When 'crisis management' becomes the goal, party procedures and decisions feel cumbersome, whereas the military's promptness and physical force can be trusted. The abnormality of 'Songun' was a dimension of crisis management.

Kim Jong-un declared party-centered governance. He held a party congress for the first time in 36 years. He normalized previously unheld party meetings. He reduced the military's economic privileges and transferred them to the cabinet. He also strengthened party control over the military and security organs. He developed strategic weapons, reorganized the force structure centered on artillery, and adjusted the military's status. This can be seen as the restoration of the party-state system. This normalization is related externally to establishing new relations, preparing for economic cooperation through national organizational normalization, and strengthening defense capabilities at the level of diplomatic negotiation power. 2021 marks the 10th year of Chairman Kim Jong-un's rule. Attention is focused on the policies North Korea will present. Both South Korea's and the United States' North Korea policies should focus on what the Kim Jong-un era desires.

Hong Min (Director of North Korea Research Division, Korea Institute for National Unification)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.