ABSTRACT
The Pyongyang regime has pursued a policy of self-sufficiency and isolation from the world economy that they call juche or self-reliance. Juche goes beyond economics as it has been used since the 1950s to perpetuate power by the central government and to build an aura of the supernatural around the their supreme leaders Kim both father and son. The economic implications of juche have minimized international trade relations, discouraged foreign direct investment, and fostered what it considers to be core industries mostly heavy manufacturing. While promoting such heavy industry, for most of the post-Korean War period, Pyongyang has emphasized the parallel development of military strength. Pyongyang embarked on a series of reforms that may ease the economic pressures over the long term. In the near term, however, major portions of the North Korean population are surviving primarily through transfusions of food and other economic assistance from abroad.
