North Korea's Official Goals and Ideology

National Security & Military Strength

North Korea's primary security goal is maintaining national security through military strength, with a particular emphasis on nuclear weapons development under the "Military First" (Songun) policy. The official justification for this policy is deterrence against perceived U.S. hostility and guaranteeing regime survival.

Economic Development

North Korea officially pursues economic development through the "Byungjin" policy, which involves the parallel pursuit of nuclear weapons and economic growth. The regime seeks sanctions relief to build a powerful and prosperous nation while overcoming economic hardships caused by international sanctions.

Ideological Purity & Control

The country emphasizes Juche (self-reliance) as its guiding philosophy, maintains a cult of personality around the Kim family, and practices isolation from foreign influence. The official rationale is preservation of national sovereignty and a monolithic socialist system free from external "corruption."

Ultimate Objective: Regime Survival

While not officially stated, a consistent thread running through all North Korean policies is the absolute priority of regime preservation for the ruling Kim family. The official goals of military strength, economic development, and ideological control all ultimately serve this primary objective.

Security as a Prerequisite

North Korea's leadership has publicly stated that its nuclear program is intended to deter what it views as an existential threat from the United States, citing conflicts like the Iraq War as examples of what happens to countries without such a deterrent.

A Shift in Relations

In a significant policy shift, North Korea has formally abandoned the goal of peaceful reunification with South Korea, which had been a stated objective for decades. It now defines South Korea as a "primary foe" and "hostile state," fundamentally changing the dynamics on the Korean Peninsula.

Ideological Framework

North Korea officially advocates socialism and considers itself a socialist state, but its guiding ideology is a unique system known as Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism, with the Juche idea at its core.

Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism

The official state ideology encompasses the ideas of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, with Juche (self-reliance), sovereignty, and independent economic and military development as its key tenets.

Juche Idea

The central pillar of Kimilsungism, originally presented as a variant of Marxism-Leninism but later declared a distinct ideology. Its principles include political independence (Chaju), economic self-sufficiency (Charip), and military self-reliance (Chawi).

Socialism/Communism

The stated political and economic goal presents the country as a socialist state working towards a future communist society, with central planning, state ownership, and collectivism as key features.

Note: There is often a significant gap between North Korea's proclaimed goals and its actions. The primary driver of all policy is regime survival for the ruling Kim family.