Juche
Juche is the official state ideology of North Korea, formulated under Kim Il Sung. It stresses national self-reliance in politics, economy and defence, and is tied to a hereditary leadership cult and the military-first policy.
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All power is concentrated in the central leadership in Pyongyang.
Hereditary one-party rule with no competitive elections.
Extremely tight control of information, movement and expression, enforced by state security.
Defined by national self-reliance and independence from foreign powers.
The military-first (Songun) policy places the armed forces at the centre of state priorities.
Emphasises ethnic homogeneity and permits almost no immigration.
Nearly all property is state or collectively owned.
The economy is centrally planned, with only limited tolerated private markets.
Seeks economic self-sufficiency and keeps foreign trade minimal.
Religion is heavily restricted, though the leader cult has quasi-religious features.
Enforces strict social conformity and traditional hierarchies of loyalty.
Prioritises military technology such as missiles, while civilian technology access is restricted.