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This paper deals with women's cultures in North Korea, with a central focus on the influence of 'Juche' thought on women's status, gender roles and the image of femininity, sex culture, and patriarchy.
Ⅰ. 'Juche' thought and the women's liberation movement
'Juche' thought argues that women can ultimately be liberated, only once they have contributed ad greatly as their male counterparts to the construction of a communist society. Thus women's diligent efforts would simultaneously require the support of the state. According to Kim Il-Sung, women should first do their best to be 'Juche'-type communist human beings while the Communist Party provides them with child care service or appliances to ease their household labors. The model of liberated women in North Korea is Kim Jungsook, Kim Il-Sung's first wife. North Korean women are instructed to follow her way of life, of which loyalty to the leader and sacrifice for the communist revolution are stressed as the two tasks of utmost importance. In this way, 'Juche' thought simply transforms women's loyalty to men to loyalty to Kim Il-Sung, and the idealized image of women, is one of supreme sacrifice and endless patience for the communist revolution. This is little modified from feudal images of womanhood.
Ⅱ. Gender roles in North Korea
North Korean women are deigned roles, not only as the builders of communist society, but also those more traditional, such as wife, mother, and daughter. The female hero is she who completes as many of the roles as successfully as possible. However, the Leader, Kim Il-Sung, is destined to be the arbiter of female heroism in North Korea. The communist party instructs women to be unquestioningly obedient to its every command. Gender roles and the female image in North Korea are instructed from external viewpoints, such as in feudal societies.
Ⅲ. Love and sex culture
In North Korea, love is not considered to be an individual act composed of personal affection and sentiment. Love is one political means to accomplish such duties as production and solidarity. Though a simplification, it can be said that no individual dimension has been permitted or has been retained in North Korea, and thus love also has taken on a collective character. There is no room for the development of a sex culture, as human beings are defined as workers or politicians, not as sexual beings. Pregnancy, abortion and child birth are not subjects of mass communications either. In these terms femininity seems not to exist in North Korea at all.
Ⅳ. Patriarchy and women's culture
In North Korea, women are encouraged to do their own work. In this sense, the 'Juche' image of women engages with the women's liberation movement. However, the content of the 'Juche' image of women is quite different from that of the latter. Women's autonomy has its meaning only when women follow the North Korean Leader, which is just another statement of religion. North Korean women have failed to form their own culture. They have not been able to develop a self image as independent beings, though they were liberated from slavery under Japanese rule.
However, North Korean women have a strong "self" which is characterized by diligence, patience and sacrifice. Their self is sound in the sense of femininity, as it is not commercialized and has not been restricted by notions of romantic love. In these ways, it is possible that quite a fruitful women's culture may be developed in North Korea.

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