Succession Quote by Bradley K. Martin
““In the early 1970s the regime dropped a very clear official hint that a close relative would become Kim Il-sung’s successor. The 1970 edition of North Korea’s Dictionary of Political Terminologies had included this critical definition: Hereditary succession is a reactionary custom of exploitative societies whereby certain positions or riches may be legally inherited. Originally a product of slave societies, it was later adopted by feudal lords as a means to perpetuate dictatorial rule. The definition failed to appear in the 1972 edition of the dictionary.””
About This Quote
Source Book: North Korean Political Lexicon, 1970 edition
The quote notes how an official definition of hereditary succession was removed, indicating a shift in propaganda about leadership succession in North Korea.
In simple terms: North Korea quietly erased a definition that justified passing power within a family.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how language changes can signal political shifts.
Themes
political propaganda
historical revisionism
authoritarianism
succession
language control
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
historical
political
scholarly
When to use this quote
- academic research
- policy analysis
- media monitoring
- human rights reporting
Key Concepts
ideology
statecraft
historical narrative
Questions to Reflect On
- How do changes in official language affect public perception?
- What other subtle shifts reveal regime intentions?
A Different Perspective
The removal may have been superficial, not reflecting actual power dynamics.
![“North Korea is a necrocracy, or a mauselocracy or a thanatocracy in which the one [Kim Il-sung] is diffused into being with the other [Kim Jong Il], and where both of them are said to have had miraculous births attended by miraculous phenomena such as, for example, birds singing in Korean, when…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c06/christopher-hitchens-117_bird_north-korea-is-a-necrocracy-or-a-mauselo_857952.jpg)
