North Korean Policy Elites - Defense Technical Information Center

A. INTRODUCTION
By definition, a totalitarian regime is characterized by the isolation of power and a highly
personalized leadership. Authority is not found in formalized institutions adhering to laws. On
the contrary, it is found in an opaque set of rules that dictate the relationship between members
of the elite and among the governing bureaucracies, all wrapped in a mythology, which enforces
a hierarchy within the system and the bond between the leader and the privileged class.
Maintaining this order is critical. The operational code of such regimes is dedicated to the
preservation of order, with all other considerations of policy being subordinate to this aim.
North Korea is one of the last surviving totalitarian regimes. While it shares many of the
characteristics of other such regimes, with its indisputable ruler (Suryong) and brand of
mythology and hero worship (chuche ideology), in many ways, it is unique. Kim Il-sung’s death
in July 1994 paved the way for the only hereditary succession in a communist system. In
addition, the model (based on the Soviet experience) through which outsiders understood the
leadership dynamics of totalitarian systems was violated. Because of the need to lay the
foundation for the dynastic transfer of power, the North Korean ruling structure by the 1970s
gave way to the creation of a system within a system with Kim Chong-il at the center. Informal
levers replaced formal channels of authority and control. In 1998, this informal leadership was
sanctioned by a new constitution, which blurred the authority of the ruling apparatus and its
connection to the Suryong.
Today, there is much speculation surrounding the viability of the Kim Chong-il regime.
As the Dear Leader sought to ensure the hereditary succession, did he also create fault lines and
structural instability within the system? In order to answer this question, this paper will address
the issues of factionalism and sources and channels of information within the North Korean elite.
These two factors can in many respects be used as diagnostic tools to understand system
dynamics and the vulnerability of the regime to outside stimuli, such as initiatives from the
United States.
After a discussion of the unique characteristics of the North Korean system, this paper
will focus on the system dynamics under Kim Chong-il. Special attention will be paid to the fault
lines and potential vulnerabilities. The existence of factions within the leadership will be studied.
Are these factions tied to policy lines, patronage systems, or are they loosely based on common
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