Li Yongchun: "People-first Principle" in North Korea during the Kim Jong-un Era
After Kim Jong Il's passing, Kim Jong Eun, as his successor, comprehensively inherited and developed the revolutionary thought proposed by Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. He established "Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism" as the guiding ideology of the Party and state, defining its essence as "the people-first principle." In January 2021, the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) convened its Eighth Congress to revise the Party Charter, establishing "Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism" as the Party’s supreme program. "People-first principle politics" replaced "Sǒngun [1] politics" (military-first politics) to become the fundamental political mode of socialism. Since taking office, Kim Jong Eun has consistently emphasized "regarding the people as Heaven" [2] and advocated for the "people-first principle." To improve the people's standard of living, Kim Jong Eun has taken a series of measures and achieved results. Due to various reasons, there is currently very little scholarly research on this issue. The author, not fearing his own shallowness of knowledge [3], will discuss the formation process, main content, and implementation of North Korea's "people-first principle" and offer an outlook on its future direction.
I. The Formation Process of the "People-First Principle"
In North Korea, the successor to the leader must be a preeminent theoretical thinker possesses a superb ideological and theoretical level. The most important aspect of inheriting the leader's revolutionary cause is inheriting and developing the revolutionary thought proposed by the leader; this is the most critical mission entrusted to the successor. Through in-depth ideological and theoretical research, and in accordance with the requirements of the Juche [4] revolutionary cause entering a new historical turning point, Kim Jong Eun inherited the "regarding the people as Heaven" thought of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. He formally defined the essence of the guiding ideology of the North Korean Party and state—"Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism"—as the "people-first principle," making it the fundamental principle and basic mode for all activities of the Party and state. The author has traced the formation process of the "people-first principle," dividing it into three stages: the emergence, the proposal, and the deepening.
(1) The Emergence of the "People-First Principle"
Following the death of Kim Jong Il, North Korea utilized media such as Rodong Sinmun [5] to actively promote and strive to shape Kim Jong Eun's image as a leader who loves the people. In February 2012, Rodong Sinmun published an article stating that "resolving the issue of the people's livelihood should be identified as the general goal for this year, with all strength concentrated on this task; all Party organizations must keep in mind that improving the people's standard of living is the implementation of the testament." It emphasized that under the leadership of Kim Jong Eun, the testament of Kim Jong Il—namely, the issue of improving the people's standard of living—must be resolutely implemented, indicating that amidst busy state affairs, Kim Jong Eun’s greatest concern remains the people's lives.
In April 2012, Kim Jong Eun held a talk with responsible cadres of the Party Central Committee, emphasizing the inheritance of the "regarding the people as Heaven" thought of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. He pointed out, "We must follow the noble intentions of Comrade Kim Il Sung and Comrade Kim Jong Il, who took 'regarding the people as Heaven' as their motto; we must regard the people as Heaven, respect and promote them infinitely, and place the requirements and interests of the people above all else in all work." In this talk, "Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism" appeared for the first time as the guiding ideology of North Korea in the New Era. Kim Jong Eun pointed out, "The Workers' Party of Korea is the glorious 'Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilist' Party that takes 'Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism' as its guiding ideology and struggles for its realization"; "'Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism' is a unified system of Juche ideology, theory, and method, and a great revolutionary thought representing the Juche era"; "We must take 'Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism' as the guiding principle for Party building and Party activities." In the same month, the WPK held its Fourth Conference, honoring Kim Jong Il as the eternal General Secretary of the WPK. The conference revised and supplemented the Party Charter, stipulating that "Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism" is the eternal guiding ideology of the WPK. Previously, the guiding ideology of the WPK was "Kim Il Sungism." Kim Jong Il formally defined the revolutionary thought created by Kim Il Sung as "Kim Il Sungism" in 1974 and proposed the program for the "Kim Il Sungism-ization" of the entire society. Kim Jong Eun established the realization of the "Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism-ization" of the entire society as the supreme program of the WPK, emphasizing the need to follow the "regarding the people as Heaven" thought, which demonstrated his respect for the previous two generations of leaders and his firm will to inherit their revolutionary ideas.
(2) The Proposal of the "People-First Principle"
Since Kim Jong Eun took power, "building an economic power" and "improving the people's lives" have become the primary policy goals. In his first speech after taking office, Kim Jong Eun stated that he would never let the people tighten their belts again, emphasizing his firm determination to improve their standard of living. At the Fourth Conference of Cell Secretaries in January 2013, Kim Jong Eun proposed the "people-first principle" for the first time, elevating it to a status equivalent to "Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism." He pointed out, "In essence, 'Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism' is the 'people-first principle'; those who regard the people as Heaven and serve them selflessly are true Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilists," and "Just as we honored Comrade Kim Il Sung and Comrade Kim Jong Il, promoting the people and devoting everything to them is the firm determination of the Party." Furthermore, Kim Jong Eun emphasized that cadres must become true servants of the people, putting forward the slogan: "Everything for the people, everything by relying on the masses!" This slogan centrally reflects the firm will of the North Korean leader to devote everything to the people and embodies his governing philosophy of valuing, respecting, and caring for the people. Subsequently, in a speech at the military parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the WPK in October 2015, Kim Jong Eun again emphasized that "'Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism' is essentially the 'people-first principle,' and our Party's mode of existence is serving the people." He stated that Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il "for the first time in history implemented politics that value, respect, and care for the people. Our Party will follow the noble intentions of the two leaders and forever write the sacred history of the 'people-first principle,'" and urged "thoroughly embodying the 'people-first principle' in the overall work of the Party, making the entire Party serve the people selflessly."
(3) The Deepening of the "People-First Principle"
In May 2016, the WPK held its Seventh Congress. This was the first congress held in 36 years since the Sixth Congress in 1980, holding a significant position in the history of the WPK and indicating the gradual "normalization" of the Party's political life. In the work report, Kim Jong Eun emphasized, "We must effectively embody the 'people-first principle' in the overall work of the Party; this is the essential requirement of our Party, which struggles for the masses and operates by relying on them," and put forward the slogan: "The whole Party serves the great people selflessly!" The "Resolution on Revising the Charter of the Workers' Party of Korea" adopted at the Seventh Congress supplemented and clarified contents such as "strengthening 'Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism' education based on education in greatness, Kim Jong Il’s patriotism, faith, anti-imperialist class consciousness, and morality, embodying the 'people-first principle' and serving the people selflessly." In October 2016, in a talk with responsible cadres of the Party Central Committee, Kim Jong Eun spent more than half the time focusing again on the "people-first principle," particularly adding new concepts such as "the Juche outlook on the people" and "people-philosophy," with the spirit of selfless service to the people at their core, thereby enriching and deepening the content of the "people-first principle."
In October 2020, North Korea held celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the WPK. On October 9, Rodong Sinmun published a signed article pointing out that "The reason our Party has today become a mother-party serving the people and an invincible party in perfect harmony with the people is that Comrade Kim Jong Eun’s 'people-first principle' thought has been thoroughly embodied in the overall work of the Party," emphasizing that Kim Jong Eun’s "noble outlook on the people" has become the starting point for all WPK policies and activities. On October 10, Rodong Sinmun published an editorial stating that the "'people-first principle' is the eternal political philosophy and political mode of the WPK," emphasizing that "Our Party's guiding ideology, 'Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism,' is essentially the 'people-first principle,' and selfless service to the people is our Party's mode of existence."
At the Eighth Congress of the WPK held in January 2021, the "people-first principle" was again emphasized as the core concept advancing all work of the WPK. Kim Jong Eun pointed out, "Since the Seventh Party Congress, the Party Central Committee has focused on and consistently and resolutely implemented 'people-first principle' politics, regarding it as the fundamental issue determining the Party's survival and the success or failure of socialism, and as the basic political mode." He added, "'Everything for the people, everything by relying on the masses!'—this is the core of the leadership thought that the Party Central Committee has meticulously and thoroughly adhered to since the Seventh Party Congress," and "The Party Central Committee has conducted a meticulous political offensive to make the 'people-first principle' a permanent political style, Party style, and state style." He emphasized that "'Regarding the people as Heaven,' 'single-minded unity,' and 'self-reliance' are the fundamental secrets to enhancing our Party's leadership capability, the fundamental path for our Party to take deeper root among the masses, and our only way out and the fundamental guarantee for opening up the future." Furthermore, most notably, the Congress unanimously passed the "Resolution on Revising the Charter of the Workers' Party of Korea," announcing that in light of the fundamental changes in North Korea's status and national power and the requirements of revolutionary development moving from victory to greater victory, "people-first principle" politics is formally stipulated as the fundamental political mode of socialism. This replaced "Sǒngun politics," which had been the WPK’s basic political mode since the Third Party Conference in September 2010. Deciding to realize the "people-first principle" as the primary task of the Party and state at a major meeting such as the WPK Congress, and writing it into the Party Charter, means that the "people-first principle" has officially become the most core governing philosophy of the Kim Jong Eun era, indicating that the new generation of leadership has shifted the focus of the national development strategy from "military-first politics" to "people-first politics."
II. The Main Content of the "People-First Principle"
To correctly understand the connotation of the "people-first principle," one must first clarify the concept of "the masses" (the people). In North Korea, "the masses" refers to the social collective that yearns for independence (autonomy) and transforms nature and society by relying on its own independent and creative activities. Juche ideology stipulates not only the working class but also the peasantry, intellectuals, and the broad masses of all social strata as components of the subject of revolution, requiring their interests to be defended. Kim Jong Eun pointed out, "The 'people-first principle' is a political philosophy that regards the masses as the masters of the revolution and construction, relies on the masses, and serves the people selflessly." Essentially, "people-first principle" politics is a form of politics that absolutely upholds the dignity and rights of the masses, relies on their infinite strength to solve all problems, and serves them. Since "Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism" was established as the guiding ideology of the WPK, relevant North Korean departments have conducted in-depth and systematic research, publishing a series of results such as Fundamentals of Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism and the Kim Il Sung–Kim Jong Ilism Series. However, these materials are for internal study only and are not disclosed to the public. Therefore, it is currently impossible to obtain the complete and systematic content of the "people-first principle" within China. Based on the major speeches, relevant works of the leader, and academic papers published by North Korea for external consumption, the author summarizes the main content of the "people-first principle" into the following aspects:
(1) The Ideological and Spiritual Source of the "People-First Principle" is "Regarding the People as Heaven"
"Treating the people as God" [6] refers to regarding the people as the supreme heavens. Kim Il-sung, the first-generation leader of the DPRK, took "treating the people as God" as his motto in leading the revolution and construction, and developed ideological and theoretical activities based on this concept. Kim Il-sung noted, "I too have an object of worship, and that is the people. I regard the people as God, and I serve them as if I were serving the heavens." Kim Il-sung’s "treating the people as God" ideology was inherited by Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un, becoming the source and decisive factor allowing "Kim Il-sung–Kim Jong-ilism" to deepen and develop into the ideology of "the people-masses-first principle." Kim Jong-il pointed out that "'treating the people as God' was the Leader’s motto, and it is also my motto and political philosophy." Kim Jong-il inherited the "treating the people as God" ideology and enriched its content by proposing the "Ten Views on the People": the "God" most passionately worshipped is the people; the most respected teacher is the people; the most powerful existence is the people; the most talented creator is the people; the strongest weapon is the single-hearted unity of the people; the greatest wish is to build a people's paradise where independence is realized; the greatest joy is the people's happiness; the greatest pain is the people's misfortune; the greatest anger is the encroachment upon the people's dignity and interests; and the favorite motto is "Serve the People!" Kim Jong-un inherited the "treating the people as God" ideology and, using it as a foundation for ideological and theoretical activities, pointed out that regarding the people-masses as the masters of the revolution and construction, relying on the inexhaustible strength of the masses to propel the revolution, and selflessly serving the people constitutes the Juche-oriented [7] view of the people and the philosophy of the people. He further clarified that "the people-masses-first principle," which constitutes the essence of "Kim Il-sung–Kim Jong-ilism," is the highest quintessence of this Juche-oriented view and philosophy. It is evident that the spiritual source of "the people-masses-first principle" is "treating the people as God," which maintains a direct line of descent from the ideologies of the two previous generations of leaders, providing a powerful ideological and theoretical framework for advancing the cause of North Korean-style Juche socialism.
(2) "The people-masses-first principle" is a political concept that views the masses as the masters of the revolution and construction. Kim Il-sung pointed out that "the people-masses are the masters of everything and the basic factor that decides everything." Kim Jong-il noted that "a revolutionary view of the masses is to regard the people as the masters of the revolution and construction, the most precious and powerful existence." The masses are the subjects of history because, first, they are the creators of all material and cultural wealth, and their struggles drive the development of social history. Without the masses, no movement to transform nature and society could occur, nor could the development of social history be realized. Second, the masses are the sole masters who create everything and make it serve them; they are the basic factor containing the causes and driving forces of historical development. Therefore, the people-masses are the masters of the revolution and construction, and the power to propel these processes also comes from them. It is for this reason that the masses are the most precious and powerful existence. Proceeding from the principle clarified by the Juche view of the people and the philosophy of the people—that the masters of revolution and construction are the masses—the "the people-masses-first principle" attaches the greatest importance to the independent requirements and interests of the masses, subordinates everything to realizing the ideals and wishes of the people, and continuously raises their dignity and status. In the people-centered North Korean-style socialist society, all lines and policies of the Party and State reflect the will and requirements of the people. There is no existence more precious than the people, who are the foundation of the state; the interests of the people are most sacred; the people are worshipped as God; and the people are omniscient and omnipotent beings with inexhaustible power to transform the world. "The people-masses-first principle" is the political concept that embodies these "treating the people as God" ideas. Simultaneously, the principle emphasizes the supremacy of the people and never permits the existence of tyranny, bureaucratism, corruption, or other behaviors that infringe upon the interests of the masses. It fully embodies the Juche philosophy of regarding the people as the most precious and powerful existence in the world, reflecting the firm position of the WPK (Workers' Party of Korea) and the government to care infinitely for the people and resolutely realize their requirements and interests.
(3) "The people-masses-first principle" is a political concept that relies on the strength of the masses to propel the revolution. Kim Il-sung pointed out that "believing in the strength of the people and relying on them to solve all problems is the requirement of the Juche Idea." Kim Jong-il noted that "believing in and relying on the people leads to victory in a hundred battles, while estrangement from or abandonment by the people leads to a hundred defeats; this 'treating the people as God' ideology, which Comrade Kim Il-sung took as his motto, has become the basic starting point and supreme principle of all our Party's activities." Relying on the masses to solve all problems means that at all times and in all places, one must firmly believe in their inexhaustible strength and fully mobilize their revolutionary enthusiasm, initiative, spiritual power, and creativity to solve all problems arising in the course of social history and revolutionary development to achieve final victory. This is a truth verified through the DPRK's revolutionary practice and an important principle clarified by the highest quintessence of the Juche view of the people and philosophy—the "the people-masses-first principle." The power capable of driving revolution and construction is the inexhaustible creativity and wisdom possessed by the masses. The "the people-masses-first principle" also contains the idea of carrying out political and ideological work to help the masses establish independent ideological consciousness, thereby maximizing their revolutionary enthusiasm and creative wisdom; the idea of realizing the scientific and technological empowerment of the entire population and building a talent-strong nation to significantly enhance scientific and technological strength; and the idea of relying on self-reliance and self-strengthening to break through all obstacles and open up a path for revolution and construction. All three generations of North Korean leaders have adhered to the mass line, taking "going deep among the masses" as a creed for struggle and life, drawing wisdom and strength from them, determining correct lines, policies, and methods, and fully mobilizing the masses to overcome the hardships blocking the path of the revolution.
(4) "The people-masses-first principle" is a political concept of selfless service to the masses. One of the core contents of "the people-masses-first principle" is to make everything in the world serve the masses selflessly. Kim Jong-il pointed out, "As a human-centered worldview, the Juche Idea regards the masses as the most precious existence and requires that everything in the world serve them; it is the ideology of 'treating the people as God,' which instills true patriotism in people and points the way toward the independent development and prosperity of the nation." Making everything serve the masses—the most precious and powerful existence in the world—and truly realizing their independent requirements and interests so they can become the complete masters of the world and their own destiny is the overarching goal and ideal proposed by "Kim Il-sung–Kim Jong-ilism." The ideology of serving the masses that permeates "the people-masses-first principle" takes the realization of the people’s requirements and interests as the primary task and spares nothing for them; this represents the highest respect and love for the people. The requirements and interests of the people become the absolute standard for measuring all work, and the entire wealth of society is invested in the cause of enhancing the people's welfare, embodying the Leader's love and spirit of selfless service. Meanwhile, selfless service to the people has become the mode of existence and the revolutionary party style of the WPK. The WPK takes the thorough embodiment of the spirit of valuing, respecting, and loving the people as a "golden rule and iron law" [8] in its work and activities. Thus, it can be seen that the essence of the revolutionary ideology of the WPK, which holds high the slogan "The whole Party selflessly serves the great people!", is "the people-masses-first principle."
III. Implementation of "the People-Masses-First Principle" Since Kim Jong-un proposed "the people-masses-first principle," it has been comprehensively implemented in all fields, strengthening the ties between the Party and the people and gaining their support and endorsement. Implementing this principle is a fundamental requirement for the WPK to carry out struggles for the masses and activities by relying on them. The DPRK emphasizes that because "the people-masses-first principle" is thoroughly implemented in all activities of the Party and State, the "people-loving politics" practiced by the Party and the people's trust and loyalty have merged into one, elevating the ties between the Party and the people to a higher realm. Among the various measures taken by the DPRK, this article highlights the specific implementation of "the people-masses-first principle" in the political, economic, and social fields.
(1) Political field In the political field, the DPRK has accelerated efforts to tangibly embody "the people-masses-first principle" in Party and State activities, while continuously intensifying the struggle to eliminate all anti-people factors that hinder its realization. To better implement the principle, while continuing to emphasize the improvement of people's livelihoods, the DPRK also stresses that cadres must overcome malpractices such as "abuse of power, bureaucratism, and corruption." Kim Jong-il also emphasized the need to thoroughly overcome old work methods and styles—such as abusing authority, putting on airs, and acting against the will and interests of the masses—as a core task for realizing people-centered socialism. However, by comparison, the intensity, duration, and public nature of Kim Jong-un’s crackdowns on such malpractices are unprecedented and relentless.
In October 2015, on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the WPK, Kim Jong-un published an article emphasizing that "the whole Party must intensify the struggle against the abuse of power, bureaucratism, and corruption, maintain the character of a Juche-oriented revolutionary party and a 'Mother Party,' and thoroughly protect and guarantee the requirements and interests of the masses." In April 2019, at the first session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Jong-un pointed out that "the Party and Government regard phenomena such as the abuse of power, bureaucratism, and corruption that infringe upon the interests of the people as a matter of national survival, declaring an uncompromising struggle against such phenomena and intensifying that struggle," demonstrating a firm will to combat malpractices.
In February 2020, the DPRK held an enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee, which focused on criticizing the acts of anti-party behavior, abuse of power, bureaucratism, and corruption among some cadres in the Central Committee and party-education institutions. The meeting removed Ri Man-gon and Pak Thae-dok from their positions as vice-chairmen of the Party Central Committee. The meeting also decided to dissolve the party committee of the party-education institution that fostered corruption and determined corresponding penalties. In June, the WPK Central Committee organ Rodong Sinmun and the theoretical journal Kulloja published a joint commentary, noting that what pained and angered Kim Jong-un most was the infringement upon the dignity, rights, requirements, and interests of the people. It reiterated that any behavior of lording it over the people or infringing on their interests must be punished mercilessly, regardless of who the perpetrator is or how high their position or merit.
To root out behaviors such as the abuse of power, bureaucratism, and corruption, the DPRK decided to strengthen Party leadership over the improvement of national discipline and legal enforcement. The Eighth Congress of the WPK decided to strengthen the powers and functions of the Central Auditing Commission of the WPK, making it specifically responsible for supervising and investigating the strengthening of internal Party discipline. To this end, the Congress decided to establish an executive body dedicated to overseeing party discipline issues from the Central Committee down to the provincial, city, and county party committees. Kim Jong-un emphasized that in handling discipline and petition issues, work must be organized and carried out from the standpoint of maintaining the interests of the Party and the revolution, and defending and consolidating the single-hearted unity of the Party and the masses. Taking the Eighth Party Congress as a turning point, the establishment of a new institutional system and work system to regulate internal Party discipline created a meaningful starting point for strengthening supervision over bureaucratism and corruption, ensuring that the interests of the people are protected and that "the people-masses-first principle" is truly implemented.
(2) Economic field In the economic field, "the people-masses-first principle" has been proposed and advanced as the goal and method of the economic development strategy in the Kim Jong-un era. In 2013, after proposing the "byungjin line" (parallel development) of economic construction and nuclear force building, the DPRK committed not only to strengthening national defense but also to promoting economic development to improve people's lives. In May 2016, the Seventh Party Congress proposed the "Five-Year Strategy for National Economic Development," emphasizing the need to accelerate the construction of an economic power, consolidate the nation's material and technical foundations, and bring about a transformation in people's lives. In April 2018, the Third Plenary Session of the Seventh WPK Central Committee announced that the parallel line of economic construction and nuclear force building had achieved victory, and proposed a new strategic line of concentrating all efforts on socialist economic construction. In January 2021, the Eighth Party Congress proposed the "Five-Year Plan for National Economic Development," emphasizing that the general direction of the new five-year plan is to focus on key links in economic development, revitalize the entire national economy, and establish a firm platform for improving people's lives.
In a February 2014 letter to the participants of the National Meeting of Sub-workteam Leaders in the Agricultural Sector, Kim Jong Un emphasized that the most important task facing the agricultural sector was to farm well and significantly increase grain production. He stated that the grain production targets set by the Party and state must be fulfilled, while simultaneously pursuing new innovations across all agricultural sectors, including vegetables, livestock, and fruit trees. In 2012, North Korea began constructing a livestock base in the Sepho area of Kangwon Province, which was completed in 2017. In just five years, this wasteland was transformed into a large-scale national livestock base, laying the foundation to meet the people’s increasing demand for high-protein food. Kim Jong Un is particularly concerned with the healthy growth of children. In June 2021, the Third Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) adopted a resolution on improving and strengthening the Party’s childcare policy. It emphasized making the provision of dairy products and other nutritional foods to children nationwide at state expense a Party policy, and set forth specific implementation tasks and methods. Furthermore, Kim Jong Un instructed the construction of large-scale aquaculture farms, vegetable greenhouses, and mushroom production bases across the country, aiming to achieve intensified and scientific production of aquatic products, fruit, vegetables, and mushrooms to make a practical contribution to the people’s lives.
To achieve the goal of raising the people’s living standards as quickly as possible, Kim Jong Un has repeatedly emphasized the vigorous development of light industry. At the National Conference of Light Industry held in March 2013, Kim Jong Un pointed out, "We must vigorously develop light industry to solve the problem of consumer goods for the people. We must take effective measures to ensure the supply of raw materials for light industry to normalize production, increase the production of consumer goods, and improve product quality."
In addition to food and clothing, Kim Jong Un attaches great importance to the housing issue. A construction boom has swept the country, using new methods of developing entire streets to build several modern, large-scale residential areas, including Changjon Street, Unha Scientists Street, Wisong Scientists Residential District, and Ryomyong Street. This has significantly improved the living conditions of the North Korean people, and those moving into new homes have all praised the benevolence of the Leader and the Party. Furthermore, North Korea has built welfare facilities such as the Pyongyang Orphanage, the Pyongyang Baby Home, and the Pyongyang Old People’s Home for orphans and the elderly. Kim Jong Un noted, "The reason our country has carried out large-scale project construction on such a grand scale in recent years is not because the state has surplus funds, but to create a happier and more civilized living environment for our people, who are the best in the world." At the Eighth Congress of the WPK in January 2021, Kim Jong Un announced the goal of building 10,000 apartments annually in Pyongyang, totaling 50,000 apartments during the five-year plan for economic development, to basically solve the housing problem for the capital's citizens. Additionally, North Korea announced that 25,000 houses would be built for miners in the Komdok area, a non-ferrous mineral production base, during the five-year plan period.
(III) The Social Sphere In the Kim Jong Un era, "people-masses-first-ism" is concentrated in fields that the masses can personally experience, such as education, healthcare, and culture, leading to a significant improvement in the people’s living standards. In his 2012 New Year’s Address, Kim Jong Un proposed the construction of a socialist civilized power. "A socialist civilized power is a country where the people possess a high level of culture, strong physiques, and noble moral character, and where a sound lifestyle prevails."
Kim Jong Un has paid deep attention to the significance of educational work in building a socialist civilized power. The Sixth Session of the 12th Supreme People's Assembly in September 2012 discussed the implementation of universal 12-year compulsory education. In May 2016, the Seventh Congress of the WPK emphasized developing education to build North Korea into a "country of education" and a "country of talents." Kim Jong Un pointed out problems in secondary general education, and called for improving the teacher training system and perfecting the vocational and technical education system. He advocated for increasing "study-while-you-work" universities, such as factory, farm, and fishermen’s universities, and further developing the distance education system so that more laborers can receive higher education [9]. At the Fifth Session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly in September 2021, he also called for following the global trends in educational development, further strengthening university education, and cultivating more innovative and practical talents.
The socialist healthcare system implemented by North Korea also fully embodies "people-masses-first-ism." Since the early days of Kim Jong Un’s administration, North Korea has successively built several medical service bases, including the Breast Tumor Institute of the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital, the Ryugyong Dental Hospital, the Okryu Children’s Hospital, and the Ryugyong General Ophthalmic Hospital. In May 2016, the Seventh Congress of the WPK emphasized developing healthcare work to raise health indicators, such as average life expectancy and infectious disease prevention rates, to advanced world levels, creating more civilized and hygienic living conditions and environments for the people. At the Fifth Session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly in September 2021, Kim Jong Un pointed out that for a socialist state, perfecting a healthcare system that truly guarantees the promotion of the health of all people is a major task that cannot be neglected for a moment. He emphasized taking decisive measures to lay the material and technical foundations of the healthcare sector at a high level and improve the quality of medical services. When the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world, North Korea’s unique medical and healthcare system played an important role in effectively controlling the epidemic and protecting the lives and safety of the people.
The diverse cultural facilities constructed during the early years of his administration are representative achievements of the Kim Jong Un era. Under his guidance, North Korea built a series of comprehensive cultural facilities, providing places for people to relax and learn, such as the Ryugyong Health Complex, the People’s Open-Air Ice Rink, the Rungna People’s Pleasure Ground, the Munsu Water Park, the Yonphung Scientists Rest Home, and the Sci-Tech Complex. Furthermore, North Korea has developed several large-scale tourist areas. Currently, projects such as the Masikryong Ski Resort and the Yangdok Hot Spring Cultural Recreation Center have been completed and put into use. After three stages of construction, Samjiyon City, located at the foot of Mount Paektu, has been transformed into a model of mountainous civilization, a template for local cities, a model for rural revitalization, and a base for education in revolutionary traditions.
IV. Conclusion In the early days of Kim Jong Un's leadership, where North Korea was headed became a focus of international attention. Western media and experts with ulterior motives predicted North Korea’s downfall, and for a time, the "North Korea collapse theory" was rampant. However, the achievements North Korea made under Kim Jong Un’s leadership since then have caused such rhetoric to collapse under its own weight. Over more than a decade in power, Kim Jong Un has inherited and developed the "The People are My God" [10] thought of the two previous generations of leaders, formulated "Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism," and declared its essence to be "people-masses-first-ism." All sectors in North Korea are striving to implement "people-masses-first-ism," further consolidating the single-minded unity of the entire Party, the whole army, and all the people with Kim Jong Un at the core. Kim Jong Un pointed out that the Party and the state serve the people selflessly, and the people entrust their entire destiny and future to the Party and the state, supporting and following them with all their hearts—this is the true face of North Korea embodying "people-masses-first-ism." The single-minded unity of the North Korean people around Kim Jong Un as the core firmly guarantees the stability of the state and society, becoming a powerful driving force for defending socialism and vigorously advancing the cause of revolution and construction.
After the Eighth Congress of the WPK in January 2021, Kim Jong Un continued to emphasize the implementation of "people-masses-first-ism." At the Sixth Conference of Cell Secretaries of the WPK in April, Kim Jong Un admitted that the economic goals set at the Seventh Congress had largely not been met. He emphasized the Central Committee’s intention to make the next five years an effective period for revitalizing the national economy and solving the people’s problems of food, clothing, and housing, calling on all Party cells and members to concentrate all their efforts on implementing the new five-year plan for economic development proposed at the Eighth Congress. In a letter to the 10th Congress of the Kimilsungist-Kimjongilist Youth League that same month, Kim Jong Un proposed a grand goal: "Our Party is planning to make the next five years an effective period of epoch-making development in the course of building North Korean-style socialism, and then to continue the grand struggle of the next stage, building our country into a prosperous and powerful socialist state where all people live happy lives within the next fifteen years or so." At the Second Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee in June, urgent current issues in economic work and people’s lives—such as concentrating all efforts on agricultural production for this year, fully responding to the long-term nature of the emergency epidemic prevention situation, and stabilizing and improving the people’s livelihood and the Party’s childcare policy—became the primary agenda. At the Fifth Session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly in September, Kim Jong Un emphasized that stabilizing and improving the people’s lives is currently the most important and vital revolutionary task for achieving new developments in socialist construction. He specifically pointed out policy issues regarding the development of grain production, livestock production, industrial crop production, the fishing industry, and light industry to improve the people's material and cultural living standards. At the Fourth Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee in December, Kim Jong Un delivered a programmatic report titled "On the Immediate Tasks for the Correct Solution of the Socialist Rural Question in Our Country," proposing a medium-to-long-term development strategy and central tasks, as well as specific implementation paths, to achieve the grand goal of rural revitalization in accordance with the realistic conditions and requirements of the times for the comprehensive development of North Korean-style socialist construction.
The year 2021 marked the tenth year of Kim Jong Un’s leadership and the first year of North Korea’s implementation of the new five-year plan for economic development. North Korea refers to the decade since Kim Jong Un took power as "the decade of great revolutionary leadership full of victory and glory." Starting from 2022, North Korea has entered a new era under Kim Jong Un’s leadership, and the trajectory of "people-masses-first-ism" has become a focus of attention.
Currently, natural disasters, economic sanctions, and the COVID-19 pandemic constitute "three great mountains" [11] hindering North Korea’s progress. To overcome these difficulties, the North Korean Party and government will continue to implement "people-masses-first-ism," making the realization of economic development and the improvement of people’s livelihoods a major task to be completed in the future. Just as "Songun politics" (military-first politics) during the Kim Jong Il period was elevated from a basic socialist political mode to "Songun thought," "people-masses-first-ism"—which has replaced "Songun politics" as the basic socialist political mode—has been elevated to a guiding ideology of the Kim Jong Un era that is in the same lineage as "Juche thought" and "Songun thought." It will continue to lead the cause of Juche-oriented socialist construction in North Korea.