The Culture, Traditions, and Heritage of North Korea

North Korean culture is very much in contrast with that of the South Korean culture mainly because of the principles and ideologies that they follow. The Juche (self-reliance) ideology defines everyone’s personality and being as it is omnipresent in each and every citizen of North Korea. This ideology puts emphasis on believing in someone ergo being close to a religion rather than a political dogma. Kim Il Sung, together with his family, are regarded as role models for each and every North Korean citizen and they are believed to have come down from the heavens and transformed into human beings. Thus, they are somehow treated as Gods. Everything that the people do, they have Kim Il Sung to thank for. Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il’s birthdays (April 15 and February 16, respectively) are celebrated as national holidays.

To be able to achieve a certain status in society, one must have loyalty to the Party and monetary privileges. Kim Il Sung’s family and relatives are regarded as the society’s elite followed by his comrades in the Party and their respective families. Those of the lowest ranks are the families of ethnic Japanese origin or families of Korean War veterans.

Marriage in North Korea depends upon the couple’s social class. Both of them have to have the same social status for their marriage to be approved of. Moreover, it is part of the tradition that men and women of the same family origin cannot marry each other. It is now lawful, however, since the family registry of North Korea has been abolished.