North Korea’s “People-First Principle” in the Kim Jong-un Era

After Kim Jong-il’s death, Kim Jong-un, as his successor, comprehensively inherited and developed the revolutionary ideas put forward by Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, establishing “Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism” as the guiding ideology of the Party and the state, and defining its essence as the “people-first principle.” In January 2021, the Workers’ Party of Korea convened its Eighth Congress to amend the Party Constitution, establishing “Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism” as the Party’s highest program, and replacing “military-first politics” with “people-first principle politics” as the basic political mode of socialism. Since taking power, Kim Jong-un has consistently emphasized “regarding the people as heaven” and advocated the “people-first principle.” To improve the people’s standard of living, Kim Jong-un has adopted a series of measures and achieved results. Due to various reasons, there is currently very little research on this topic in academic circles. The author, despite his limited knowledge, will discuss the formation process, main content, and implementation of North Korea’s “people-first principle,” and offer a prospect for its future direction.

金正日逝世后，作为接班人，金正恩全面继承和发展金日成和金正日提出的革命思想，将“金日成金正日主义”确立为党和国家的指导思想，并将其本质规定为“人民群众第一主义”。2021年1月，朝鲜劳动党召开第八次代表大会修改党章，将“金日成金正日主义”确立为党的最高纲领，“人民群众第一主义政治”取代“先军政治”,成为社会主义基本政治方式。执政以来，金正恩一直强调“以民为天”,提倡“人民群众第一主义”。为了提高人民的生活水平，金正恩采取了一系列措施，并取得成效。由于诸多原因，目前学界关于这一问题的研究成果极少。笔者不揣浅陋，对朝鲜“人民群众第一主义”的形成过程、主要内容以及贯彻落实等方面进行论述，并对其今后的走向进行展望。

I. The Formation Process of the “People-First Principle”

一、“人民群众第一主义”的形成过程

In North Korea, the successor to the leader should be an outstanding ideological theorist with a high level of ideological and theoretical capability. The most important task in inheriting the leader’s revolutionary cause is to inherit and develop the revolutionary ideas put forward by the leader, which is the most crucial mission entrusted to the successor. Through in-depth ideological and theoretical research, and in accordance with the requirements of the North Korean Juche revolutionary cause entering a new historical turning point, Kim Jong-un inherited Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il’s “regarding the people as heaven” thought, formally defining the essence of the guiding ideology of the Party and the state, namely “Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism,” as the “people-first principle,” and making it the fundamental principle and basic mode of all activities of the Party and the state. The author has sorted out the formation process of the “people-first principle,” dividing it into three stages: germination, proposal, and deepening.

在朝鲜，领袖的接班人应是具有高超的思想理论水平的卓越的思想理论家。继承领袖革命事业最为重要的是继承和发展领袖提出的革命思想，这是赋予接班人最重要的使命。金正恩经过深入的思想理论研究，按照朝鲜主体革命事业进入新的历史转折期的要求，继承金日成和金正日的“以民为天”思想，将朝鲜党和国家的指导思想，即“金日成金正日主义”的本质正式规定为“人民群众第一主义”,并使其成为党和国家一切活动的根本原则和基本方式。笔者对“人民群众第一主义”的形成过程进行了梳理，将其划分为“人民群众第一主义”的萌芽、提出和深化三个阶段。

(A) The Germination of the “People-First Principle”

(一)“人民群众第一主义”的萌芽

After Kim Jong-il’s death, North Korea actively promoted through media such as *Rodong Sinmun*, striving to shape Kim Jong-un’s image as a leader who loves the people. In February 2012, *Rodong Sinmun* published an article stating, “We must set solving the people’s livelihood problem as the overall goal for this year, concentrate all forces on this work, and all Party organizations must bear in mind that improving the people’s standard of living is implementing the behest,” emphasizing that under Kim Jong-un’s leadership, Kim Jong-il’s behest—namely, improving the people’s standard of living—must be resolutely carried out, indicating that among the busy affairs of state, Kim Jong-un’s greatest concern remains the people’s livelihood.

金正日逝世之后，朝鲜通过《劳动新闻》等媒体积极宣传，努力塑造金正恩的爱民领导人形象。2012年2月，《劳动新闻》发表一篇文章，指出“要将解决人民生活问题确定为今年的总目标，将全部力量集中在这个工作上，全体党组织要牢记提高人民生活水平就是贯彻遗训”,强调要在金正恩的领导下坚决贯彻金正日的遗训，即提高人民生活水平问题，表明在繁忙的国家事务中，金正恩最为关心的还是人民的生活。

In April 2012, Kim Jong-un had a conversation with responsible cadres of the Party Central Committee, emphasizing the need to inherit Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il’s “regarding the people as heaven” thought. He pointed out, “We must follow the noble intention of Comrade Kim Il-sung and Comrade Kim Jong-il, who took ‘regarding the people as heaven’ as their motto, regard the people as heaven, infinitely respect the people, value the people, and put the people’s demands and interests first in all work.” In this conversation, “Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism” appeared for the first time as the guiding ideology of North Korea in the Kim Jong-un era. Kim Jong-un stated, “The Workers’ Party of Korea is a glorious ‘Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism’ Party that takes ‘Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism’ as its guiding ideology and struggles to realize this guiding ideology,” and “‘Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism’ is a unified system of Juche ideology, theory, and method, a great revolutionary ideology representing the Juche era,” and “We must take ‘Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism’ as the guiding principle for Party building and Party activities.” In the same month, the Workers’ Party of Korea convened its Fourth Conference, electing Kim Jong-il as the eternal General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea. The conference amended and supplemented the Party Constitution, stipulating that “Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism” is the eternal guiding ideology of the Workers’ Party of Korea. Previously, the guiding ideology of the Workers’ Party of Korea was “Kimilsungism.” In 1974, Kim Jong-il formally established the revolutionary ideology founded by Kim Il-sung as “Kimilsungism” and proposed the program of “Kimilsungism-ization” of the entire society. Kim Jong-un established the “Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism-ization” of the entire society as the Party’s highest program, emphasizing the need to follow Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il’s “regarding the people as heaven” thought, demonstrating his respect for the two previous generations of leaders and his firm will to inherit their revolutionary ideas.

2012年4月，金正恩与党中央委员会责任干部进行谈话，强调要继承金日成和金正日“以民为天”思想。他指出，“要遵循把‘以民为天’当作座右铭的金日成同志和金正日同志的崇高意旨，把人民视为上天，无限尊敬人民，推重人民，把人民的要求和利益放在首位进行一切工作。”在此次谈话中，作为金正恩时代朝鲜的指导思想，首次出现了“金日成金正日主义”。金正恩指出，“朝鲜劳动党是把‘金日成金正日主义’作为指导思想，为实现这一指导思想而斗争的光荣的‘金日成金正日主义’党”,“‘金日成金正日主义’是主体的思想、理论、方法的统一体系，是代表主体时代的伟大革命思想”,“要把‘金日成金正日主义’作为指导方针进行党的建设和党的活动”。同月，朝鲜劳动党召开第四次代表会议，拥戴金正日为朝鲜劳动党永远的总书记。会议修改和补充党章，规定“金日成金正日主义”是朝鲜劳动党永恒的指导思想。此前，朝鲜劳动党的指导思想为“金日成主义”。金正日于1974年把金日成创立的革命思想正式确定为“金日成主义”,并提出了全社会的“金日成主义”化纲领。金正恩将实现全社会“金日成金正日主义”化确定为劳动党的最高纲领，强调要遵循金日成和金正日的“以民为天”思想，表明了他对前两代领导人的尊重和继承其革命思想的坚定意志。

(B) The Proposal of the “People-First Principle”

(二)“人民群众第一主义”的提出

After Kim Jong-un took power, “building an economic power” and “improving the people’s livelihood” became the main policy objectives. In his first speech after taking power, Kim Jong-un stated that he would never again make the people tighten their belts, emphasizing his firm determination to improve the people’s standard of living. At the Fourth Conference of Cell Secretaries held in January 2013, Kim Jong-un proposed the “people-first principle” for the first time and elevated it to a status equal to that of “Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism.” He pointed out, “In essence, ‘Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism’ is the ‘people-first principle.’ Only those who regard the people as heaven and serve the people selflessly are true Kimilsungists-Kimjongilists,” and “To value the people and devote everything to the people, just as we uphold Comrade Kim Il-sung and Comrade Kim Jong-il, is the Party’s firm resolve.” In addition, Kim Jong-un also emphasized that cadres should become true public servants of the people, putting forward the slogan “Everything for the people, everything relying on the people!” This slogan centrally reflects the North Korean leader’s firm will 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 Workers’ Party of Korea in October 2015, Kim Jong-un again emphasized that “‘Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism’ is essentially the ‘people-first principle,’ and the mode of existence of our Party is to serve 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, and our Party will follow the noble intention of the two great leaders and forever write the sacred history of the ‘people-first principle,’” and urged “to thoroughly embody the ‘people-first principle’ in all Party work, making the entire Party serve the people selflessly.”

金正恩执政以后，“建设经济强国”和“改善人民生活”成为主要的政策目标。在执政之后进行的首次演讲中，金正恩表示绝不会再让人民勒紧腰带，强调了一定要提高人民生活水平的坚定决心。在2013年1月召开的第四次支部书记大会上，金正恩首次提出“人民群众第一主义”,并且将其上升到与“金日成金正日主义”对等的地位。他指出，“从本质上讲，‘金日成金正日主义’是‘人民群众第一主义’,以民为天、为人民忘我服务的人，才是真正的金日成金正日主义者”,“像拥戴金日成同志和金正日同志那样，推重人民，为人民奉献一切，这是党的坚定决心。”此外，金正恩还强调干部要成为人民真正的公仆，提出“一切为人民，一切都依靠人民群众!”的口号。这一口号集中反映了朝鲜领导人为民奉献一切的坚定意志，体现了其重视人民、尊重人民、关爱人民的执政理念。此后，金正恩在2015年10月为庆祝朝鲜劳动党成立七十周年举行的阅兵式上发表讲话，再次强调“‘金日成金正日主义’本质上是‘人民群众第一主义’,我们党的存在方式是为人民服务。”他表示，金日成和金正日“在历史上首次实行重视人民、尊重人民、关爱人民的政治，我们党将遵循两位领袖崇高意旨，永远谱写‘人民群众第一主义’的神圣历史”,并敦促“在党的全盘工作中彻底体现‘人民群众第一主义’,使全党为人民忘我服务”。

(C) The Deepening of the “People-First Principle”

(三)“人民群众第一主义”的深化

In May 2016, the Workers’ Party of Korea convened its Seventh Congress, which was held 36 years after the Sixth Congress in 1980, occupying an important position in the history of the Workers’ Party of Korea and indicating the gradual “normalization” of the Party’s political life. In his work summary report, Kim Jong-un emphasized, “We must effectively embody the ‘people-first principle’ in all Party work; this is the essential requirement of our Party, which struggles for the people and conducts activities relying on the people,” and put forward the slogan “The entire Party serves the great people selflessly!” The resolution “Amendment to the Constitution of the Workers’ Party of Korea” adopted by the Congress supplemented and clarified content such as “strengthening ‘Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism’ education based on education in greatness, Kim Jong-il patriotism education, faith education, anti-imperialist class education, and moral education, embodying the ‘people-first principle,’ and serving the people selflessly.” In October 2016, in a speech to responsible cadres of the Party Central Committee, Kim Jong-un spent more than half the time again focusing on the “people-first principle,” especially adding new concepts such as the “Juche people’s view and people’s philosophy” centered on the spirit of selfless service to the people, enriching and deepening the content of the “people-first principle.”

2016年5月，朝鲜劳动党召开第七次代表大会，这是继1980年第六次代表大会之后，时隔36年召开的代表大会，在朝鲜劳动党史上占据重要地位，表明党的政治生活逐步“正常化”。在工作总结报告中，金正恩强调“要在党的全盘工作中切实体现‘人民群众第一主义’,这是为人民群众而斗争、依靠人民群众进行活动的我们党的本质要求”,并提出了“全党为伟大的人民忘我服务!”的口号。7大会通过的决议书《修改朝鲜劳动党章程》补充和阐明了“以伟大性教育、金正日爱国主义教育、信念教育、反帝阶级教育、道德教育为基础，加强‘金日成金正日主义’教育，体现‘人民群众第一主义’,为人民忘我服务”等内容。2016年10月，在对党中央委员会责任干部的讲话中，金正恩花费一半以上的时间再次重点提到“人民群众第一主义”,尤其是在讲话中增加了以为人民忘我服务精神为核心的“主体的人民观、人民哲学”等新的概念，丰富和深化了“人民群众第一主义”的内容。

In October 2020, North Korea held celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea. On October 9, *Rodong Sinmun* published a signed article stating, “The reason our Party today has become a motherly Party that serves the people and an invincible Party that is one with the people is that Comrade Kim Jong-un’s ‘people-first principle’ has been thoroughly embodied in all Party work,” emphasizing that Kim Jong-un’s “lofty view of the people” has become the starting point for all Party policies and activities. On October 10, *Rodong Sinmun* published an editorial stating, “‘The people-first principle’ is the eternal political philosophy and political method of the Workers’ Party of Korea,” emphasizing that “the guiding ideology of our Party, ‘Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism,’ is in essence the ‘people-first principle,’ and selfless service to the people is the mode of existence of our Party.”

2020年10月，朝鲜举行朝鲜劳动党成立七十五周年庆祝活动。10月9日，《劳动新闻》发表署名文章，指出“今天我们的党之所以成为为人民服务的母亲之党、与人民浑然一体的不败之党，是因为在党的全盘工作中彻底体现了金正恩同志的‘人民群众第一主义’思想”,强调金正恩“崇高的人民观”成为劳动党一切政策和活动的出发点。10月10日，《劳动新闻》发表社论，指出“‘人民群众第一主义’是朝鲜劳动党永恒的政治理念和政治方式”,强调“我们党的指导思想‘金日成金正日主义’本质上是‘人民群众第一主义’,为人民忘我服务是我们党的存在方式”。

At the Eighth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea held in January 2021, the “people-first principle” was once again emphasized as the core concept driving all work of the Workers’ Party of Korea. Kim Jong-un pointed out, “Since the Seventh Party Congress, the Central Committee has prioritized and consistently and resolutely implemented ‘people-first principle’ politics, regarding it as a fundamental issue determining the survival of the Party and the success or failure of socialism, and as the basic political method.” “Everything for the people, and everything relying on the people! This is the core of the leadership thought that the Central Committee has meticulously and thoroughly adhered to since the Seventh Party Congress.” “The Central Committee has carried out a meticulous political offensive to make the ‘people-first principle’ a permanent political style, Party style, and national style.” He emphasized, “‘Regarding the people as heaven,’ ‘unity of mind,’ and ‘self-reliance’ are the fundamental secrets to strengthening our Party’s leadership capacity, the fundamental path for our Party to take deeper root among the people, and the fundamental guarantee for our only way forward and for opening up our future.” Furthermore, the most notable development was that the Congress unanimously adopted a resolution to amend the *Charter of the Workers’ Party of Korea*, declaring that, in light of the fundamental changes in North Korea’s status and national power and the requirements of revolutionary development as it advances from victory to greater victory, the “people-first principle” politics is formally stipulated as the basic socialist political method, replacing the “military-first politics” [7]7 “Military-first politics” (先军政治, *seongun jeongchi*): A North Korean political principle prioritizing the Korean People’s Army in state affairs and resource allocation, formally adopted as the basic political method at the Third Conference of the Workers’ Party of Korea in September 2010 under Kim Jong-il. that had been the basic political method of the Workers’ Party of Korea since the Third Conference of the Workers’ Party of Korea in September 2010. The decision at such a major Party congress, one concerning the fate of the Party and the state, to make the realization of the “people-first principle” the primary task of the Party and the state and to enshrine it in the Party charter means that the “people-first principle” has formally become the core governing philosophy of the Kim Jong-un 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.”

在2021年1月举行的朝鲜劳动党第八次代表大会上，“人民群众第一主义”作为推进朝鲜劳动党一切工作的核心理念再次得到强调。金正恩指出，“党的七大以来，党中央委员会重点提出并一贯坚决实行‘人民群众第一主义’政治，将其视为决定党的存亡和社会主义成败的根本问题、基本政治方式”,“‘一切为人民，一切都依靠人民群众!’这就是党中央委员会在党的七大以来一丝不苟、彻底坚持的领导思想的核心”,“党中央委员会周密细致地开展政治攻势，使‘人民群众第一主义’成为永久的政风、党风、国风”。他强调“‘以民为天’、‘团结一心’、‘自力更生’就是增强我们党的领导能力的根本秘诀所在，是我们党更深深扎根于人民群众的根本途径所在，也是我们唯一的活路和开拓前途的根本保证所在”。此外，最为引人关注的是，大会一致通过《修改朝鲜劳动党章程》决议书，宣布鉴于反映朝鲜的地位和国力有了根本改变，朝着从胜利走向更大的胜利奋勇前进的革命发展的要求，把“人民群众第一主义”政治正式规定为社会主义基本政治方式，取代了自2010年9月朝鲜劳动党第三次代表会议以来一直成为朝鲜劳动党基本政治方式的“先军政治”。在朝鲜劳动党代表大会这种关乎党和国家命运的重大会议上决定将实现“人民群众第一主义”作为党和国家的首要任务，并且写入党章，这意味着“人民群众第一主义”正式成为金正恩时代最为核心的执政理念，表明新一代领导人已经将国家发展战略的重点由“先军政治”转向“先民政治”。

II. The Main Content of the “People-First Principle”

二、“人民群众第一主义”的主要内容

To correctly understand the connotation of the “people-first principle,” one must first clarify the concept of “the people.” In North Korea, “the people” refers to a social collective that aspires to autonomy and transforms nature and society through its own autonomous and creative activities. The Juche idea [8]8 Juche idea: The official state ideology of North Korea, developed by Kim Il-sung, emphasizing national self-reliance, autonomy, and the central role of the masses in revolution, distinct from classical Marxism-Leninism. not only designates the working class but also peasants, intellectuals, and the broad masses of various strata as constituent parts of the subject of revolution, requiring the defense of their interests. Kim Jong-un pointed out, “The ‘people-first principle’ is a political philosophy that regards the people as the masters of revolution and construction, relies on the people, and serves the people selflessly.” In essence, “people-first principle” politics is politics that absolutely upholds the dignity and rights and interests of the people, solves all problems by relying on the inexhaustible strength of the people, and serves the people. After “Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism” was established as the guiding ideology of the Workers’ Party of Korea, relevant North Korean departments conducted in-depth and systematic research, publishing a series of research results such as *The Basics of Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism* and *The Collected Works of Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism*, but these materials are for internal study only and are not publicly released. Therefore, it is currently impossible to obtain a complete and systematic account of the “people-first principle” domestically. Based on publicly released and published important speeches by North Korean leaders, related treatises, and academic papers, the author summarizes the main content of the “people-first principle” into the following aspects:

要正确理解“人民群众第一主义”的内涵，首先要弄清“人民群众”的概念。在朝鲜，“人民群众”是指向往自主性，依靠自己自主的、创造性的活动改造自然和社会的社会集体，主体思想不仅把工人阶级，而且把农民和知识分子以及各阶层广大群众规定为革命的主体的组成部分，要求维护他们的利益。金正恩指出，“‘人民群众第一主义’是把人民群众视为革命和建设的主人，并依靠人民群众，为人民忘我服务的政治理念”。从本质上讲，“人民群众第一主义”政治是绝对拥护人民群众的尊严和权益，依靠人民群众无穷无尽的力量解决一切问题，为人民群众服务的政治。“金日成金正日主义”被确立为朝鲜劳动党的指导思想之后，朝鲜有关部门进行了深入系统的研究，出版了《金日成金正日主义基本》《金日成金正日主义丛书》等一系列研究成果，但这些资料只供内部学习，不对外公开。因此，目前在国内尚无法得知“人民群众第一主义”完整的、系统的内容。笔者根据朝鲜对外公开发表和出版的领导人重要讲话和相关论著以及学术论文，将“人民群众第一主义”的主要内容归纳为以下几个方面：

(1) The Ideological and Spiritual Source of the “People-First Principle” is “Regarding the People as Heaven”

(一)“人民群众第一主义”的思想精神源泉是“以民为天”

“Regarding the people as heaven” means treating the people as heaven. North Korea’s first-generation leader, Kim Il-sung, took “regarding the people as heaven” as his motto in leading revolution and construction and carried out ideological and theoretical activities based on this thought. Kim Il-sung stated, “I also have an object of worship, and that is the people. I regard the people as heaven and serve the people as I would serve heaven.” Kim Il-sung’s thought of “regarding the people as heaven” was inherited by Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un, becoming the source and decisive factor enabling “Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism” to deepen and develop into the “people-first principle” thought. Kim Jong-il pointed out, “‘Regarding the people as heaven’ is the motto of the leader, and it is also my motto and political philosophy.” Kim Jong-il inherited the thought of “regarding the people as heaven” and developed and enriched its content, proposing the “Ten Views of the People”: the most ardently worshipped “heaven” 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 most powerful weapon is the unity of the people; the greatest wish is to build a paradise for the people realizing autonomy; the greatest joy is the happiness of the people; the greatest pain is the misfortune of the people; the greatest anger is the infringement of the people’s dignity and interests; the favorite motto is “Serve the people!” Kim Jong-un inherited the thought of “regarding the people as heaven,” conducting ideological and theoretical activities on this basis, pointing out that regarding the people as the masters of revolution and construction, relying on the inexhaustible strength of the people to advance the revolution, and serving the people with devotion—this is the Juche view of the people, the Juche philosophy. He clarified that the “people-first principle,” which is the essence of “Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism,” is the highest quintessence of the Juche view of the people and Juche philosophy. It can be seen that the ideological source of the “people-first principle” thought is “regarding the people as heaven,” forming a consistent lineage with the thoughts of the previous two generations of leaders, providing powerful ideological theory for advancing North Korea’s Juche socialist cause.

“以民为天”,就是指将人民视若上天。朝鲜的第一代领导人金日成将“以民为天”作为座右铭领导革命和建设，并基于“以民为天”思想开展了思想理论活动。金日成指出，“我也有崇拜的对象，那就是人民。我将人民视若上天，像侍奉上天那样侍奉人民”。金日成的“以民为天”思想由金正日和金正恩继承，成为“金日成金正日主义”能够深化发展为“人民群众第一主义”思想的源泉和决定性因素。金正日指出，“以民为天’是领袖的座右铭，也是我的座右铭和政治哲学”。金正日继承“以民为天”思想，并发展丰富其内容，提出了“十大人民观”:最热烈崇拜的“上天”是人民、最尊敬的导师是人民、最有力的存在是人民、最有才能的创造者是人民、最强有力的武器是人民的团结一心、最大的愿望是建设实现自主性的人民的乐园、最大的喜悦是人民的幸福、最大的痛苦是人民的不幸、最大的愤怒是对人民的尊严和利益的侵害、最喜欢的座右铭是“为人民服务!”。金正恩继承“以民为天”思想，以此为基础进行思想理论活动，指出把人民群众视为革命和建设的主人，依靠人民群众无穷无尽的力量推动革命，为人民群众献身服务，这就是主体的人民观、人民哲学，并阐明成为“金日成金正日主义”本质的“人民群众第一主义”是主体的人民观、人民哲学的最高精华。可见，“人民群众第一主义”思想的精神源泉是“以民为天”,与前两代领导人的思想一脉相承，为推动朝鲜主体社会主义事业前进提供了有力的思想理论。

(2) The “People-First Principle” is a Political Philosophy that Regards the People as the Masters of Revolution and Construction

(二)“人民群众第一主义”是把人民群众视为革命和建设的主人的政治理念

Kim Il-sung pointed out that “the masses of the people are the masters of everything and the fundamental element that decides everything”; Kim Jong-il pointed out that “the revolutionary viewpoint on the masses of the people regards the people as the masters of revolution and construction, the most precious and most powerful existence.” The masses of the people are the subject of history because, first, the masses of the people are the creators of all material and cultural wealth, and the struggles they wage drive the development of social history. Without the masses of the people, no movement to transform nature and society can occur, nor can the development of social history be realized. Second, the masses of the people are the sole masters who create everything and make it serve themselves, and they are the fundamental element possessing the cause and motive force of historical development. Therefore, the masses of the people are the masters of revolution and construction, and the force that drives revolution and construction also comes from the masses of the people. It is precisely for this reason that the masses of the people are the most precious and most powerful existence. The “mass-first principle” proceeds from the principle, elucidated by the subject-based view of the people and people’s philosophy, that the masses of the people are the masters of revolution and construction; it places the greatest importance on the autonomous demands and interests of the masses of the people in revolution and construction, subordinates everything to realizing the ideals and wishes of the people, and continuously elevates the dignity and status of the masses of the people. In a Korean-style socialist society centered on the masses of the people, all lines and policies of the Party and state reflect the will and demands 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 revered as heaven; the people are omniscient and omnipotent beings with inexhaustible power to transform the world. The political ideology capable of embodying this “people-as-heaven” thought is the “mass-first principle.” At the same time, the “mass-first principle” emphasizes the supremacy of the people and absolutely prohibits acts such as arbitrary high-handedness, bureaucratism, and graft that infringe upon the interests of the masses of the people. The “mass-first principle” fully embodies the subject philosophy that regards the people as the most precious and most powerful existence in the world, and reflects the firm stance of the Korean Party and government in showing infinite care for the people and resolutely realizing the demands and interests of the people.

金日成指出，“人民群众是一切的主人，是决定一切的基本要素”;金正日指出，“对人民群众的革命性观点，是将人民视为革命和建设的主人，最宝贵和最有力的存在”。人民群众是历史的主体，这是因为，首先，人民群众是一切物质文化财富的创造者，他们进行的斗争推动了社会历史的发展。离开人民群众，不可能发生改造自然和社会的一切运动，也不可能实现社会历史的发展。其次，人民群众是创造一切并使其为自己服务的唯一的主人，是具有历史发展的原因和动力的基本要素。因此，人民群众是革命和建设的主人，推动革命和建设的力量也来自人民群众。也正因为如此，人民群众是最宝贵和最有力的存在。“人民群众第一主义”从主体的人民观、人民哲学阐明的革命和建设的主人是人民群众这一原理出发，在革命和建设中最重视人民群众的自主要求和利益，将一切服从于实现人民的理想和愿望，不断提高人民群众的尊严和地位。在以人民群众为中心的朝鲜式社会主义社会，党和国家的所有路线和政策都反映人民的意愿和要求。没有比作为国家之本的人民更宝贵的存在、人民的利益最神圣、将人民尊奉为上天、人民是具有改造世界的无穷无尽力量的全知全能的存在，能够体现这些“以民为天”思想的政治理念就是“人民群众第一主义”。与此同时，“人民群众第一主义”强调人民至上，绝不允许存在侵害人民群众利益的专横跋扈、官僚主义、营私舞弊等行为。“人民群众第一主义”充分体现了将人民视为世界上最宝贵、最有力的存在的主体哲学，反映了无限关怀人民、要坚决实现人民的要求与利益的朝鲜党和政府的坚定立场。

(3) The “mass-first principle” is a political ideology that relies on the strength of the masses of the people to drive revolution

(三)“人民群众第一主义”是依靠人民群众的力量推动革命的政治理念

Kim Il-sung pointed out that “to believe in the strength of the masses of the people and rely on the masses of the people to solve all problems is the demand of ‘Juche thought’”; Kim Jong-il pointed out that “to believe in the people and rely on the people ensures victory in every battle, but to alienate the people and be abandoned by the people leads to repeated defeat—this is the ‘people-as-heaven’ thought that Comrade Kim Il-sung took as his motto, and it has become the basic starting point and highest principle of all our Party’s activities.” Relying on the masses of the people to solve all problems means believing at all times and in all places in the inexhaustible strength of the masses of the people, fully mobilizing the revolutionary enthusiasm and initiative, spiritual power, and creative power of the masses of the people to solve all problems arising in the process of social-historical development and revolutionary development, and achieving the final victory of the revolution. This is a truth verified through Korea’s revolutionary practice and also an important principle elucidated by the highest essence of the subject-based view of the people and people’s philosophy, namely the “mass-first principle.” The force capable of driving revolution and construction is the inexhaustible creativity and wisdom possessed by the masses of the people. The “mass-first principle” also contains the idea of conducting political and ideological work to enable the masses of the people to establish autonomous ideological consciousness, so as to maximize the mobilization of the revolutionary enthusiasm and creative wisdom of the masses of the people; the idea of realizing the scientification and talent-powering of the entire people and greatly enhancing scientific and technological strength to vigorously drive all work; and the idea of relying on self-reliance and self-strengthening to break through all obstacles and open up a way forward for revolution and construction. All three generations of North Korean leaders have adhered to the mass line, taking going deep among the masses of the people as their creed for struggle and life, obtaining wisdom and strength from the masses of the people, determining correct lines, policies, and methods, fully mobilizing the masses, and overcoming the hardships and difficulties blocking the path of revolutionary advance.

金日成指出，“相信人民群众的力量，依靠人民群众解决一切问题，就是‘主体思想’的要求”;金正日指出，“相信人民、依靠人民就能百战百胜，但疏远人民、被人民抛弃就会屡战屡败，这是金日成同志作为座右铭的‘以民为天’思想，成为我党一切活动的基本出发点和最高原则”。依靠人民群众解决一切问题，是指无论何时何地都要坚信人民群众无穷无尽的力量，充分调动人民群众的革命热情和积极性、精神力和创造力解决在社会历史发展和革命发展过程中出现的一切问题，取得革命的最后胜利，这是通过朝鲜的革命实践得到检验的真理，也是主体的人民观、人民哲学最高精华即“人民群众第一主义”阐明的重要原理。能够推动革命和建设的力量就是人民群众具有的无穷无尽的创造力和智慧。“人民群众第一主义”还包含着开展政治思想工作让人民群众树立自主的思想意识，以最大限度调动人民群众的革命热情和创造性智慧的思想；实现全民科学技术人才化和人才强国化，大幅提升科学技术力量，以大力推动一切工作的思想；依靠自立自强冲破一切阻碍开辟革命和建设出路的思想。朝鲜的三代领导人均坚持群众路线，将深入人民群众作为进行斗争和生活的信条，从人民群众那里得到智慧和力量，确定正确的路线、政策和方法，充分发动群众，战胜阻挡革命前进道路的艰难困苦。

(4) The “mass-first principle” is a political ideology of selfless service for the masses of the people

(四)“人民群众第一主义”是为人民群众忘我服务的政治理念

One of the core contents of the “mass-first principle” is to make all things in the world serve the masses of the people selflessly. Kim Jong-il pointed out that “as a human-centered worldview, ‘Juche thought’ is a ‘people-as-heaven’ thought that regards the masses of the people as the most precious existence and demands that all things in the world serve the masses of the people; it is a thought of loving the country and loving the nation that establishes true patriotism for people and points the way to the independent development and prosperity of the nation.” Making all things serve the most precious and most powerful existence in the world, the masses of the people, selflessly, and truly realizing the autonomous demands and interests of the masses of the people so that they can become the complete masters of the world and their own destiny—this is the overall goal and ideal set forth by “Kim Il-sung-Kim Jong-ilism.” The thought of serving the masses of the people, which runs through the “mass-first principle,” takes realizing the demands and interests of the people as the primary task and spares nothing for the people; this is the highest respect and care for the people. The demands and interests of the people become the absolute standard for measuring all work, and all of society’s wealth is invested in the cause of enhancing the welfare of the people, reflecting the leader’s care for the people and spirit of selfless service. At the same time, selfless service for the people has become the mode of existence of the Workers’ Party of Korea and a revolutionary Party style. The Workers’ Party of Korea takes thoroughly embodying the spirit of valuing the people, respecting the people, and caring for the people in Party work and activities as an ironclad rule. Thus, the revolutionary ideological essence of the Workers’ Party of Korea, which raises high the slogan “The whole Party selflessly serves the great people!”, is the “mass-first principle.”

“人民群众第一主义”的核心内容之一就是让世界上的一切事物都为人民群众忘我服务。金正日指出，“作为以人为中心的世界观，‘主体思想’是将人民群众作为最宝贵的存在，要求世界上的一切事物为人民群众服务的‘以民为天’的思想，是给人们树立真正的爱国主义、为民族的自主发展和繁荣昌盛指明道路的爱国家爱民族的思想”。让一切事物为世界上最宝贵、最有力的存在即人民群众忘我服务，真正实现人民群众的自主要求和利益，使他们能够成为世界和自己命运完全的主人，这就是“金日成金正日主义”提出的总体目标和理想。贯穿着“人民群众第一主义”的为人民群众服务的思想，将实现人民的要求和利益作为首要任务，为人民不惜付出一切，这是对人民最高的尊重和关爱。人民的要求和利益成为衡量一切工作的绝对标准，将社会的全部财富都投入到增进人民福利的事业中，体现了领袖对人民的关爱和忘我服务精神。同时，为人民忘我服务成为朝鲜劳动党的存在方式和革命性党风。朝鲜劳动党将在党的工作和活动中，彻底体现重视人民、尊重人民、关爱人民的精神作为金规铁律。由此可见，高举“全党为伟大的人民忘我服务!”口号的朝鲜劳动党的革命思想精髓就是“人民群众第一主义”。

3. Implementation of the “mass-first principle”

三、“人民群众第一主义”的贯彻落实

After Kim Jong-un put forward the “mass-first principle,” it has been comprehensively implemented in all fields, strengthening the bond between the Party and the people and winning the support and endorsement of the people. Implementing the “mass-first principle” is a fundamental requirement for the Workers’ Party of Korea to wage struggle for the masses of the people and conduct activities relying on the masses of the people. North Korea emphasizes that, because the “mass-first principle” is thoroughly implemented in all activities of the Party and state, the Party’s people-loving politics and the people’s trust in and loyalty to the Party merge into one, elevating the bond between the Party and the people to a higher level. Among the series of measures adopted by North Korea, the author will focus on discussing the specific situation of implementing the “mass-first principle” in the political, economic, and social fields.

金正恩提出“人民群众第一主义”之后，在所有领域加以全面贯彻落实，加强了党和人民之间的纽带，得到了人民的拥戴和支持。贯彻落实“人民群众第一主义”是朝鲜劳动党为人民群众开展斗争、依靠人民群众进行活动的根本要求。朝鲜强调，由于在党和国家的一切活动中彻底贯彻“人民群众第一主义”,党实施的爱民政治和人民对党的信任和忠诚融为一体，将党和人民之间的纽带提升到一个更高的境界。在朝鲜采取的一系列措施中，笔者将重点论述“人民群众第一主义”在政治、经济、社会等领域加以贯彻落实的具体情况。

(1) Political field

(一)政治领域

In the political field, North Korea is stepping up work to ensure that the “mass-first principle” is practically reflected in the activities of the Party and state, while simultaneously intensifying the struggle to eliminate all anti-people factors that hinder its realization. In order to better implement the “mass-first principle,” while continuing to emphasize improving people’s livelihoods, North Korea also stresses that cadres must overcome malpractices such as “abuse of power, bureaucratism, and graft.” Kim Jong-il also emphasized that thoroughly overcoming old working methods and styles characterized by abuse of power, showing off authority, and violating the will and interests of the masses of the people was a core task for realizing socialism centered on the masses of the people. However, by comparison, in the Kim Jong-un era, the intensity and duration of the crackdown on malpractices are unprecedented, and it is carried out openly and without mercy.

在政治领域，朝鲜加紧推进党和国家活动中切实体现“人民群众第一主义”的工作，同时不断加大排除有碍于其实现的一切反人民因素的斗争力度。为了更好地贯彻实施“人民群众第一主义”,在继续重视改善民生的同时，朝鲜还强调干部要克服“滥用权势、官僚主义、营私舞弊”等不正之风。金正日也曾强调要彻底克服滥用职权、逞威风、违背人民群众的意志和利益的旧的工作方法和作风，是实现以人民群众为中心的社会主义的核心任务，但相比之下，金正恩时代惩治不正之风的力度大、时间长，都是前所未有的，而且是公开的、毫不留情的。

In October 2015, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Kim Jong-un published an article, emphasizing that “the whole Party must intensify the struggle against acts of abuse of power, bureaucratism, and graft, maintain the true character of the subject revolutionary Party and the mother Party, and thoroughly safeguard and guarantee the demands and interests of the masses of the people.” At the first session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly in April 2019, Kim Jong-un pointed out that “the Party and government regard phenomena such as abuse of power, bureaucratism, and graft that infringe upon the interests of the people as a matter of national survival, declare an uncompromising struggle against such phenomena, and strengthen the intensity of the struggle,” expressing a firm will to struggle against malpractices that infringe upon the interests of the people.

2015年10月，在朝鲜劳动党成立七十周年之际金正恩发表文章，强调“全党要加大反对滥用权势、官僚主义、营私舞弊行为的斗争力度，保持主体的革命政党、母亲党的本色，彻底维护并保障人民群众的要求和利益”。在2019年4月第十四届最高人民会议第一次会议上，金正恩指出“党和政府把滥用职权、官僚主义和营私舞弊等侵害人民利益的现象视为关乎国家存亡的问题，宣布与此类现象进行不妥协的斗争，并加强斗争力度”,表明了与侵害人民利益的不正之风进行斗争的坚定意志。

In February 2020, North Korea held an enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, which concentrated on criticizing anti-Party, abuse of power, bureaucratism, and graft among some cadres of the Central Committee and Party spirit education institutions, and dismissed Ri Man-gon and Pak Thae-dok from their posts as vice-chairmen of the Central Committee. The meeting decided to dissolve the Party committee of the Party spirit education institution that had engaged in graft and determined corresponding punishment measures. In June, the organ of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, *Rodong Sinmun*, and the organ journal *The Worker* published a joint commentary, pointing out that what pained and angered Kim Jong-un most was the infringement of the people’s dignity and rights, demands and interests, and again emphasized that anyone who stands above the people and infringes on their interests, regardless of who they are or how high their position or merits, would be punished without mercy.

2020年2月，朝鲜举行劳动党中央政治局扩大会议，集中批判党中央委员会和党性教育机构的一些干部中出现的反党、滥用权势、官僚主义、营私舞弊行为，免去李万建、朴太德的党中央委员会副委员长职务。会议决定解散制造营私舞弊行为的党性教育机构的党委员会，并对此确定了相应的处罚办法。6月，朝鲜劳动党中央委员会机关报《劳动新闻》和机关刊物《劳动者》发表联合评论，指出金正恩最为心疼和气愤的是，人民的尊严和权利、要求和利益受到侵害，再次强调对于高居人民之上、侵害人民利益的行为，不管是谁、不管其职位和功劳多高，都要毫不留情予以惩罚。

To eradicate abuse of power, bureaucratism, and graft that infringe on the interests of the masses, North Korea decided to strengthen the Party’s leadership in improving state discipline and law enforcement. The Eighth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea decided to strengthen the authority of the Central Inspection Committee of the Party, which is specifically responsible for strengthening supervision and investigation of intra-Party discipline. To this end, the Congress decided to establish an executive body specifically tasked with supervising Party discipline issues from the Central Committee down to provincial, city, and county Party committees. Kim Jong-un emphasized that in handling disciplinary and appeal issues, one must take the stand of safeguarding the interests of the Party and the revolution, defending and consolidating the unity of the Party and the masses, and organizing and carrying out work. Taking the Eighth Party Congress as an opportunity, a new institutional and work system for practically supervising intra-Party disciplinary work was perfected, creating a meaningful starting point and turning point for strengthening the supervision and management of intra-Party bureaucratism and graft, protecting the people’s interests from infringement, and truly implementing the “people-first principle.”

为了根除侵害人民群众利益的滥用权势、官僚主义、营私舞弊等行为，朝鲜决定加强党对改进国家纪律和法律执行方面的领导。朝鲜劳动党第八次代表大会决定加强党中央检查委员会权能，专门负责党内纪律强化监督调查工作。为此，大会决定设立专门监管从党中央委员会到各道、市、郡党委员会党纪问题的执行机构。金正恩重点强调，在处理纪律问题和申诉问题方面，要站在维护党和革命利益、保卫并巩固党和群众的团结一心的立场，组织和开展工作。以党的八大为契机，健全实际监管党内纪律工作的新的机构体系、工作体系，为加强对党内官僚主义、营私舞弊等行为的监督和管理，维护人民利益不受侵害，真正贯彻落实“人民群众第一主义”创造了有意义的起点、转折点。

(2) Economic Sphere

(二)经济领域

In the economic sphere, the “people-first principle” was proposed and advanced as the goal and method of the economic development strategy of the Kim Jong-un era. In 2013, after proposing the “parallel line of economic construction and nuclear force building,” North Korea not only devoted itself to strengthening national defense capabilities but also to promoting economic development to improve the people’s livelihood. 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 powerhouse, consolidate the country’s material and technological foundation, and bring about a transformation in the people’s lives. In April 2018, the Third Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea declared the victory of the “parallel line of economic construction and nuclear force building” and proposed a new strategic line of concentrating all forces on socialist economic construction. In January 2021, the Eighth Party Congress proposed the “Five-Year Plan for National Economic Development,” emphasizing that focusing on the central links of economic development, invigorating the entire national economy, and laying a solid platform for improving the people’s livelihood are the general direction of the new five-year plan.

在经济领域，“人民群众第一主义”作为金正恩时代经济发展战略的目标和方式被提出并得以推进。2013年，提出“经济建设和核武力建设并举路线”之后，朝鲜不仅致力于加强国防力量，也为了改善人民生活致力于促进经济发展。2016年5月，劳动党七大提出《国家经济发展五年战略》,强调要加速经济强国建设，夯实国家的物质技术基础，给人民生活带来转变。2018年4月，劳动党第七届中央委员会第三次全体会议宣布“经济建设和核武力建设并举路线”取得胜利，提出集中一切力量进行社会主义经济建设的新战略路线。2021年1月，劳动党八大提出《国家经济发展五年计划》,强调集中力量抓好经济发展的中心环节，搞活整个国民经济，奠定改善人民生活的牢固平台，是新的五年计划的总方向。

In a letter to participants in the National Conference of Heads of Agricultural Workteams in February 2014, Kim Jong-un emphasized that the most important task facing the agricultural sector is to cultivate crops well, substantially increase grain production, and surely fulfill the grain production tasks set by the Party and the state, while also carrying out new innovations in 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, the barren land was transformed into a large-scale national-level livestock base, laying the foundation for meeting the people’s growing demand for high-protein food. Kim Jong-un is especially concerned about the healthy growth of children. In June 2021, the Third Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea adopted a resolution on improving and strengthening the Party’s childcare policy, emphasizing that supplying dairy products and other nutritious foods to children nationwide at state expense should be established as Party policy, and specifying concrete implementation tasks and pathways. In addition, Kim Jong-un instructed the construction of large-scale aquaculture farms, vegetable greenhouses, and edible fungus production bases nationwide, and the intensification and scientization of the production of aquatic products, fruits, vegetables, and edible fungi, to make practical contributions to the people’s livelihood.

在2014年2月致全国农业部门分组长大会与会者的信中，金正恩强调农业部门面临的最重要的任务是种好庄稼，大幅度增加粮食生产，一定要完成党和国家提出的粮食生产任务，同时在蔬菜、畜产和果树等农业的所有部门进行新的革新。2012年，朝鲜开始在江原道洗浦地区建设畜产基地，于2017年竣工，短短的五年时间将荒芜之地改造成为国家级的大型畜产基地，为满足人民日益增加的对高蛋白食物的需求奠定基础。金正恩尤其关心儿童的健康成长，在2021年6月劳动党八届三中全会通过关于改善加强党的育儿政策的决议，强调要把用国家经费向全国儿童供给奶制品等营养食品制定为党的政策，并提出其具体执行任务和途径。此外，金正恩还指示在全国各地建设大规模水产养殖场、蔬菜暖棚、食用菌生产基地并实现水产品、水果、蔬菜、食用菌的生产集约化、科学化，为人民生活做出实际贡献。

To achieve the goal of improving the people’s living standards as quickly as possible, Kim Jong-un repeatedly emphasized the need to vigorously develop light industry. At the National Light Industry Conference 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 effectively take measures to ensure the supply of raw materials for light industry, normalize its production, increase the production of consumer goods, and improve product quality.”

为了尽快实现提高人民生活水平的目标，金正恩多次强调要大力发展轻工业。在2013年3月举行的全国轻工业大会上，金正恩指出，“要大力发展轻工业，解决人民消费品问题。要切实采取保障轻工业原料供应的措施，使其生产正常化，增加人民消费品生产，提高产品的质量”。

In addition to food and clothing issues, Kim Jong-un also attaches great importance to housing issues. A construction boom has swept across the country, with new methods of developing entire streets being used to build a number of modern large-scale residential areas, such as Changjon Street, the Galaxy Scientists’ Street, the Future Scientists’ Street, and the Dawn Street, greatly improving the living conditions of the North Korean people. The masses moving into new homes all praise the leader and the Party’s benevolence. In addition, North Korea has built welfare facilities such as the Pyongyang Orphanage, the Pyongyang Nursery, and the Pyongyang Nursing Home for orphans and the elderly. Kim Jong-un pointed out, “In recent years, our country has carried out large-scale project construction on a grand scale, not because the state has surplus funds, but to create a happier and more civilized living environment for the best people in the world.” At the Eighth Party Congress held in January 2021, Kim Jong-un announced the goal of building 10,000 housing units annually in Pyongyang and a total of 50,000 housing units during the five-year economic development plan, basically solving the housing problem for the capital’s citizens. In addition, North Korea announced that during the five-year economic development plan, 25,000 housing units would be built for miners in the Komdok area, a non-ferrous mineral production base.

除了衣食问题以外，金正恩还非常重视住房问题，全国各地掀起了建设热潮，以开发整条街的新方式兴建了仓田大街、银河科学家大街、未来科学家大街、黎明大街等一批现代化大型住宅区，大幅改善了朝鲜人民的居住条件，乔迁新居的人民群众无不称颂领袖和党的恩德。此外，朝鲜还为孤儿和老人建设了平壤育幼院和平壤保育院及平壤养老院等福利设施。金正恩指出，“近年来，我国大刀阔斧地进行规模庞大的项目建设，这并不是因为国家资金过剩，而是为了给世上最好的我国人民营造更幸福更文明的生活环境”。在2021年1月召开的劳动党八大上，金正恩宣布在平壤市每年建设1万套住宅，在经济发展五年计划期间共建设5万套住宅的目标，基本上解决首都市民的住房问题。此外，朝鲜还宣布经济发展五年计划期间，在有色矿物生产基地检德地区为矿工建设2.5万套住宅。

(3) Social Sphere

(三)社会领域

In the Kim Jong-un era, the “people-first principle” is concentratedly reflected in areas such as education, healthcare, and culture, which the masses can personally experience, and the people’s living standards have been significantly improved. In his 2012 New Year’s address, Kim Jong-un proposed building a socialist civilized state. “A socialist civilized state is a country where the people have a high cultural level, a robust physique, and a noble moral character, and where a sound lifestyle prevails.”

金正恩时代，“人民群众第一主义”集中体现在教育、保健、文化等人民群众能够亲身体会到的领域，人民的生活水平得到显著提高。在2012年的新年贺词中，金正恩提出要建设社会主义文明国家。“社会主义文明国家是人民具有高度的文化水平和健壮的体魄，以及高尚的道德风貌的、充满健全的生活风气的国家。”

Kim Jong-un pays close attention to the important significance of education in building a socialist civilized state. The Sixth Session of the 12th Supreme People’s Assembly, held in September 2012, discussed the issue of implementing universal 12-year compulsory education. In May 2016, the Seventh Party Congress emphasized the need to develop education and build North Korea into a nation of education and talent. Kim Jong-un pointed out problems in secondary general education, demanded improvements to the teacher training system, and continued to perfect the vocational and technical education system, adding factory universities, farm universities, fishing ground universities, and other universities where students work while studying, further developing distance education systems, so that more workers can receive higher education. [13]13 Factory universities, farm universities, and fishing ground universities are part of North Korea’s work-study higher education system, allowing workers to receive university education without leaving their jobs. At the Fifth Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly in September 2021, he also called for conforming to world educational development trends, further strengthening university education, and cultivating more development-oriented and practical talents.

金正恩对在社会主义文明国家建设中教育工作的重要意义予以深切关注。2012年9月举行的第十二届最高人民会议第六次会议讨论了关于实行普遍的12年制义务教育的问题。2016年5月，劳动党七大强调要发展教育事业，把朝鲜建设成为教育之国、人才之国。金正恩指出中等普通教育存在的问题，要求改进师范教育体系，并继续完备职业技术教育体系，增设工厂大学、农场大学、渔场大学等边工作边学习的大学，进一步发展远程教育系统，使更多的劳动者受到高等教育。38在2021年9月第十四届最高人民会议第五次会议上，他还号召顺应世界教育发展趋势，进一步狠抓大学教育，培养更多的开发创造型人才、实践型人才。

The socialist healthcare system implemented in North Korea also fully embodies the “people-first principle.” From the beginning of Kim Jong-un’s tenure, North Korea successively built a number of medical service bases, including the Breast Cancer Research Institute of the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital, the Ryugyong Dental Hospital, the Okryu Children’s Hospital, and the Ryugyong Ophthalmology General Hospital. In May 2016, the Seventh Party Congress emphasized the need to develop healthcare work, raise health indicators such as average life expectancy and infectious disease prevention rates to world advanced levels, and create 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 improvement of the health of all people is a major task that cannot be neglected for a moment, and emphasized the need to take decisive measures to lay the material and technological foundation of the healthcare sector at a high level and improve the quality of medical services. When the COVID-19 pandemic raged globally, North Korea’s distinctive medical and healthcare system played an important role in effectively controlling the epidemic and protecting the people’s lives.

朝鲜实施的社会主义保健制度也充分体现了“人民群众第一主义”。从金正恩执政初期开始，朝鲜陆续建设了平壤妇产医院乳腺肿瘤研究所、柳京口腔医院、玉流儿童医院、柳京眼科综合医院等一批医疗服务基地。2016年5月，劳动党七大强调要发展保健工作，把人口的平均寿命和传染病预防率等保健指标提升到世界先进水平，给人民创造更加文明卫生的生活条件和环境。在2021年9月第十四届最高人民会议第五次会议上，金正恩指出，对社会主义国家来说，完善真正保障增进全体人民健康的保健制度是一刻也不能忽略的重大任务，并强调要采取决定性措施，在高水平上奠定保健部门的物质技术基础，提高医疗服务质量。在新冠肺炎疫情肆虐全球时，朝鲜特色的医疗保健体系在有效管控疫情、保护人民生命安全方面发挥了重要作用。

The diverse cultural facilities intensively built in the early years of Kim Jong-un’s rule can be considered representative achievements of the Kim Jong-un era. Under Kim Jong-un’s guidance, North Korea has successively constructed a series of comprehensive cultural facilities such as the Ryugyong Won, the People’s Open-Air Ice Rink, the Rungna People’s Pleasure Ground, the Munsu Water Park, the Yonpung Scientists’ Rest Home, and the Science and Technology Hall, providing the people with places for leisure and study. In addition, North Korea has also successively developed a number of large-scale tourist zones. At present, projects such as the Masikryong Ski Resort and the Yangdok Hot Spring Cultural Recreation Ground have been completed and put into use. After three stages of construction, Samjiyon City, located at the foot of Mount Paektu in North Korea, has been transformed into a model of a mountain civilized city, a model of a local city, a model of rural revitalization, and a base for revolutionary tradition education.

在执政初期集中建设的多样的文化设施堪称金正恩时代的代表性成果。在金正恩的指导下，朝鲜陆续建设了柳京院、人民露天滑冰场、绫罗人民游园地、纹绣戏水场、延丰科学家休养所、科学技术殿堂等一系列综合性文化设施，为人民提供休闲和学习的场所。此外，朝鲜还陆续开发了一批大型的旅游区。目前，马息岭滑雪场、阳德温泉文化休养地等项目已经竣工并投入使用。经过三个阶段的建设，位于朝鲜白头山脚下的三池渊市转变成为山区文明城市榜样、地方城市样板、农村振兴样板、革命传统教育基地。

IV. Conclusion

四、结语

In the early years of Kim Jong-un’s rule, the direction North Korea would take became the focus of attention for relevant countries. Western media and experts with ulterior motives repeatedly talked down North Korea’s prospects, and for a time the “North Korean collapse theory” was rampant. However, the achievements North Korea subsequently made under Kim Jong-un’s leadership caused such claims to collapse of their own accord. Over more than a decade in power, Kim Jong-un inherited and developed the “people-as-heaven” thought of the two previous generations of leaders, put forward “Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism,” and declared its essence to be the “people-first principle.” All North Korean departments strive to implement the “people-first principle,” further consolidating the unity of the entire Party, the entire military, and the entire people centered on Kim Jong-un. 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 the Party and the state wholeheartedly—this is the true face of North Korea embodying the “people-first principle.” The unity of the North Korean people, coalesced around Kim Jong-un as the core, firmly guarantees the stability of the state and society and becomes a powerful driving force for safeguarding socialism and vigorously advancing the cause of revolution and construction.

金正恩执政初期，朝鲜将走向何方成为相关国家关注的焦点，居心叵测的西方媒体和专家纷纷唱衰朝鲜的前途，一时间“朝鲜崩溃论”甚嚣尘上，但此后朝鲜在金正恩的领导下取得的成就却使得这种言论不攻自破。执政十多年来，金正恩继承和发展前两代领导人的“以民为天”思想，提出“金日成金正日主义”,宣布其本质是“人民群众第一主义”。朝鲜各部门努力贯彻“人民群众第一主义”,进一步巩固了以金正恩为核心的全党、全军、全民的团结一心。金正恩指出，党和国家为人民忘我服务，人民将自己的命运和未来全部寄托给党和国家，全心全意支持和跟随党和国家，这就是体现“人民群众第一主义”的朝鲜真正的面貌。朝鲜人民以金正恩为核心凝聚在一起的团结一心，牢固保障国家和社会的稳定，成为守护社会主义、大力推进革命和建设事业的强有力的动力。

After the Eighth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea in January 2021, Kim Jong-un continued to emphasize the implementation of the “people-first principle.” At the Sixth Conference of Secretaries of Party Cells in April, Kim Jong-un acknowledged that the economic goals set by the Seventh Congress of the Party had largely not been met, emphasized that the Party Central Committee’s intention was to make the next five years a highly effective period for revitalizing the national economy and solving the people’s problems of food, clothing, and housing, and called on all Party cells and all Party members to concentrate all efforts on implementing the new five-year economic development plan proposed by the Eighth Congress. In a letter to the Tenth Congress of the “Kimilsungist-Kimjongilist Youth League” in the same month, Kim Jong-un set forth an ambitious goal: “Our Party is planning to make the next five years a highly effective period that achieves epochal development in the course of Korean-style socialist construction, and then, without letup, continue to carry out the grand struggle of the next stage, building our country into a prosperous and powerful socialist state where the entire people live a happy life within the next fifteen years or so.” At the Second Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea in June, urgent current issues in economic work and people’s lives, such as the problem of concentrating all efforts on doing a good job of this year’s agricultural production, the problem of fully responding to the protracted nature of the emergency epidemic prevention situation, the problem of stably improving the people’s livelihood, and the problem of improving the Party’s child-rearing policy, became the main agenda items. At the Fifth Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly in September, Kim Jong-un emphasized that stably improving the people’s livelihood is the most important and life-or-death revolutionary task for achieving new development in socialist construction at the present stage, and specifically pointed out policy issues related to vigorously developing grain production, livestock production, cash crop production, fisheries, and light industry to raise the people’s material and cultural living standards. At the Fourth Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea in December, Kim Jong-un delivered a programmatic report, “On the Current Tasks for Correctly Solving the Socialist Rural Problem in Our Country,” proposing a medium- and long-term development strategy and central tasks for completing the grand goal of rural revitalization, along with specific implementation pathways, based on the actual conditions and epochal requirements of seeking the comprehensive development of Korean-style socialist construction.

在2021年1月劳动党八大以后，金正恩继续强调贯彻落实“人民群众第一主义”。在4月第六次党支部书记大会上，金正恩承认在很大程度上没有完成党的七大提出的经济目标，强调党中央的意图是使今后的五年成为振兴国家经济、解决人民吃穿住问题方面卓有成效的五年，号召各党支部和全体党员集中全力贯彻落实八大提出的新的经济发展五年计划。在同月致“金日成金正日主义”青年同盟第十次代表大会的信函中，金正恩提出宏大的奋斗目标：“我们党正在筹划，使今后的五年成为在朝鲜式社会主义建设历程中实现划时代发展的卓有成效的五年，然后再接再厉，继续开展下一个阶段的宏伟斗争，在今后的十五年内外，把我国建设成为全民过上幸福生活的繁荣昌盛的社会主义强国”。在6月劳动党八届二中全会上，关于集中一切力量做好今年农业生产的问题、全力应对紧急防疫形势长期性的问题、稳定改善人民生活和改进党的育儿政策的问题等经济工作和人民生活中迫切的当前问题成为主要议程。在9月第十四届最高人民会议第五次会议上，金正恩强调稳定改善人民生活是当前取得社会主义建设新发展的最重要且生死攸关的革命任务，并具体指明了大力发展粮食生产、畜牧业生产、经济作物生产、水产业、轻工业等相关政策问题，提高人民物质文化生活水平。在12月劳动党第八届中央委员会第四次全体会议上，金正恩作了纲领性报告《关于正确解决我国社会主义农村问题的当前任务》,提出了根据谋求朝鲜式社会主义建设全面发展的现实条件和时代要求，完成农村振兴宏伟目标的中长期发展战略和中心任务及其具体实行途径。

2021 was the tenth year of Kim Jong-un’s rule and the first year of North Korea’s implementation of a new five-year economic development plan. North Korea calls the decade since Kim Jong-un came to power “the ten years of great revolutionary leadership full of victories and glory.” Starting from 2022, North Korea, under Kim Jong-un’s leadership, has entered a new era, and the direction of the “people-first principle” has become a focus of attention.

2021年是金正恩执政的第十个年头，也是朝鲜实施新的经济发展五年计划的第一个年头。朝鲜将金正恩执政以来的十年称为“充满胜利和光荣的伟大革命领导的十年”。从2022年开始，朝鲜在金正恩领导下步入新的时代，“人民群众第一主义”的走向成为引人关注的焦点。

At present, natural disasters, economic sanctions, and the COVID-19 pandemic have become the “three great mountains” [14]14 “Three great mountains” (三座大山) is a historical Chinese Communist Party slogan referring to imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism as the three oppressive forces on the Chinese people before 1949; here it is applied analogically to North Korea’s current difficulties. blocking North Korea’s path forward. To overcome these difficulties, the North Korean Party and government will continue to implement the “people-first principle,” effectively achieve the goals of developing the economy and improving the people’s livelihood, and establish this as a major task to be accomplished in the future. Just as the “military-first politics” of the Kim Jong-il era was elevated from a basic socialist political method to “military-first ideology,” the “people-first principle,” which has replaced “military-first politics” as the basic socialist political method, has already been elevated to the guiding ideology of the Kim Jong-un era, in the same lineage as the “Juche idea” and the “military-first ideology,” and will continue to guide North Korea’s Juche-oriented socialist construction.

目前，自然灾害、经济制裁、新冠肺炎疫情成为阻碍朝鲜前进道路的“三座大山”。为了克服这些困难，朝鲜党和政府将继续贯彻落实“人民群众第一主义”,切实实现发展经济、改善民生的目标，确立为今后要完成的重大课题。如同金正日时期的“先军政治”从社会主义基本政治方式提升为“先军思想”,取代“先军政治”成为社会主义基本政治方式的“人民群众第一主义”已经被提升为与“主体思想”“先军思想”一脉相承的金正恩时代的指导思想，将继续引领朝鲜的主体社会主义建设事业。

(Author’s bio: Li Yongchun, Assistant Researcher, National Institute of International Strategy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Doctor of History)

（作者简介：李永春，中国社会科学院亚太与全球战略研究院助理研究员，史学博士）

Online editor: Zhi Jie

网络编辑：至杰