The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze how political rituals have been used to secure and enhance political legitimacy of the supreme leaders Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un in the D.P.RK.(North Korea). In particular, I will focus mainly... The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze how political rituals have been used to secure and enhance political legitimacy of the supreme leaders Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un in the D.P.RK.(North Korea). In particular, I will focus mainly on the supreme leader’s anniversary such as April 15th, Kim Il-sung’s birth day called the day of the sun, February 16th, Kim Jong-il’s birth day called the day of Kwangmyungsung, Kim Jong-un’s birth day, July 8th called the President Kim Il-sung Memorial day, December 17th called the President Kim Jong-il Memorial day. I assume that political rituals are ultimate propaganda festivals. Ritual performance includes a set of techniques to affect the identity and legitimacy to be away from individuality. At a first glance, the form and meaning are seen as autonomous to show their patriot, but are elaborate. As a set of legitimacy-affecting techniques, the elements of political rituals can be integrated into religious and secular settings. Therefore, I believe that political rites have played key roles in establishing legitimacy and leadership succession. Political rituals are not rational and desirable responses, but a most effective set of techniques to manipulate the pubic’s identity for the sake of loyalty. In fact, all otherness and distinctiveness, individual or otherwise, internal or external is the natural enemy of the ritual mode. The is structure of this dissertation is described below. In the third chapter, I examine the political rites of the Kim Il-sung era from 1952 through 1994. Until the mid-1960s, North Korea paid little attention to the political rites for Kim Il-sung, however, after the appearance of his son, Kim Jong-il, he tried to strengthen the rites for his father and to refer to its own approach as “socialism with North Korean characteristics”. The political rituals encompassed confucianism and familism of traditional Korea. In the mid-1970s, unlike his father, Kim Jong-il strengthened a set of new techniques to secure his own political legitimacy. As Kim Jong-il’s political leadership became powerful, he tried to create a symbolic territory for “us”. In the forth chapter, I analyze the political rites of the Kim Jong-il era from 1994 to 2011. The death of Kim Il-sung meant that North Korea and its supreme leadership, Kim Jong-il were confronted with crisis. Kim Jong-il officially started the work of the Cause of perpetuating memory of Kim Il-sung by designating the formal three-year mourning period for Kim Il-sung. In addition to that, he started to emphasis on Military-first politics through the Korean People’s Army(KPA). The political rites of this period can be integrated into socialist, Confucian, North Korea’distinct characteristics. Kim Jong-un appeared and Kim Jong-il began to prepare Kim Jong-un for succession to leadership in 2009. In the fifth chapter, I analyze the political rituals of the Kim Jong-un era from 2011 to 2016. Current North Korean leadership Kim Jong-un used his father’s funeral to stamp his own leadership on the public’s mind as North Korea’s next leader. He started to rule with behest of Kim Jong-il. The political rites of this period can be integrated into socialist, Confucian, North Korea’distinct characteristics, but the bottom line is that Kim Jong-un has emphasized on moral influence and treating the public respectfully. It would be reasonable to be expected to continue for a while. Obviously, the political rituals for the birth and death of the ex-North Korean Presidents played pivotal roles in strengthening political legitimacy. However, since North Korea suffers from its frail economy, excessive spendings for idolism and leakages of information on supreme leadership, the way of political rituals is needed to be change. As we know, one of the most urgent tasks of Kim Jong-un is to maintain the North Korean regime through various and onerous political rituals. In conclusion, the political rituals in North Korea would be a double-edged sword. ，韩语论文，韩语论文 |
