voting turnout. But despite calling themselves “The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,”

they have been ranked as the least democratic, and most authoritarian country in the world.

So, how exactly does North Korea’s government work?

Well, North Korea is effectively a totalitarian state run by a dynastic line of dictators.

North Korea’s cultural and political identity is based on a devotion to leader Kim Il-Sung,

whose Presidential authority is written into the constitution. In fact, the long dead leader

is still officially the eternal President, making North Korea the only necro-ocracy in

the world. However, it is his grandson, Kim Jong Un who is the current Supreme Leader,

and whose authority is…well, Supreme.

The North Korean government is basically split into three branches, executive, legislative,

and judicial. The executive branch is controlled by the Premier and Kim Jong Un, who is also

in control of the military. The legislative branch is primarily a Congress called the

Supreme People’s Assembly. Elections for the SPA are every 5 years, and ostensibly

they are a check and balance against the other two branches. The SPA is occupied almost entirely

by members of the Worker’s Party of Korea, which is the only ruling party allowed by

the Constitution. There are two other minor parties but they are both controlled by the

Worker’s Party. The judicial branch is known for secretive trials and a disregard for human

rights. All judges are selected by the SPA.

So, how does this all work in practice? Well, candidates for congress are chosen by the

Worker’s Party. Each candidate runs unopposed, and anybody who wants to vote against the

candidate has to use a special booth. Since North Korea publicly executes its citizens

for any anti-state actions, this is not a good idea. After all the chosen candidates

win their elections by a landslide, the new SPA congress rarely meets. Historically they

are a rubber-stamp congress, and have approved nearly every single proposed law without debate.

In effect, North Korea goes through all the motions of a parliamentary democracy, while

operating as a theocratic dictatorship. Clearly, one does not disagree with the divine rights

of the leader of a theocracy, in this case, Kim Il-Sung. While North Koreans may want

to put a stop to the countless human rights abuses, mass incarceration, and widespread

famine, there is no political method of doing so.

The cult of personality surrounding the Kim family is one of the driving forces behind

North Korea’s totally insane system of government. check out our video about Kim Jong Un to learn

more about the country’s latest dictator. Thanks for watching, and make sure to like

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