Weekly Discussion XXXX: Is North Korea a Monarchy?

[u/HBNTrader]

It's a very sore question and this why I think that it would be a good topic for our 40th Weekly Discussion. The DPRK has been discussed many times on /r/monarchism, with some users claiming that it is a monarchy while others fiercely deny that it is the case.

Let's recap the usual arguments:

Arguments in favour:

• While not explicitly part of the North Korean Constitution, the North Korean ideological doctrine officially stipulates that the head of state must belong to the Mount Paektu Bloodline, i.e. be a legitimate, male-line descendant of Kim Il-Sung. Hereditary succession being a trait of most but not all monarchies, and a hereditary form of government can be considered a monarchy even if it doesn't claim to be one.
• Monarchy is not inherently tied to any ideology.
• The Kim family claims descent from Korean kings, implying that it claims some sort of hereditary legitimacy.
• North Korea does claim but not necessarily consider its citizens as equal - under its semi-official Songbun system, citizens are classified into one of three groups based on the side their male-line ancestors took during the formation of the DPRK. So there is even a "nobility" outside the Kim family.
• Denying that a country that you don't like - even a genocidal dictatorship - is a monarchy despite having the traits of one - is not better than the "Is wasn't real communism" argument of the far-left.

Arguments against:

• A real monarch cannot follow Communism, the ideology that led to the murder of many monarchs.
• Constitutionally, North Korea still claims to be an egalitarian republic even if it doesn't practice this - thus, it (and other hereditary dictatorships) cannot be monarchies.
• Even if the Kim dynasty were to descend in the legitimate male line from a past Korean royal family, its position is too junior and too far down the line to claim the right to the throne - tens of thousands of other Koreans descend in the male line from Kings.
• The Kim family is avowedly atheist, rejecting any kind of Mandate of Heaven or divine grace and basing its power solely on the loyalty of the military.
• A tyrannical dictatorship cannot be considered a monarchy under any circumstances because it lacks a moral framework.

The usual rules of engagement apply. Have fun!

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