Title. In essence, I think it is backwards and chauvinistic to not support the DPRK as an actually existing socialist nation. I do not think you need to defend every action they take; some of their propagandist measures are extreme. However, to deny the immense strides they have made after a recent genocide and extensive sanctions is obtuse. They have managed to majorly industrialize to the extent that Pyongyang is now being referred to as "Pyonghattan" and have seen trememndous growth in some of the outerlying regions.
Despite this, you will see uneducated liberals and supposed "leftists" such as anarchists blatantly repeat CIA talking points such as having to "push trains". Further, their "war-mongering" in light of Iran has been proven to be what it always was; a desperate attempt against a superpower to ensure their economic and political independence and freedom.
The reality is that Juche Marxism has garnered levels of infrastructural, scientific, educational and public health achievements that would be unthinkable for a capitalist nation under the same economic restrictions and history. Its model of state-led industrialization, combined with social welfare, demonstrates that socialism is not a utopian dream, it is an experiment in collective advancement.
Marxism demands that we approach life through the lens of dialectical materialism; to deny North Korea its status as a developing socialist nation is to be reactionary.
I do not know how we undo the decades of anti-DPRK propaganda en-masse that is often times downright silly and absurd (ie. "North Koreans do not think that any nation exists outside of their borders" which is obviously untrue), but in order to shift the Overton window of normalizing relations with the DPRK, we would be best suited to start in our own backyard, socialist discourse.
Claims of “major” achievements under sanctions ignore the reality of widespread poverty, food insecurity, and the regime’s reliance on informal markets and smuggling networks to keep the economy functioning. Outside of Pyongyang, malnutrition remains common and living standards are extremely low.
The regime’s priorities also reveal its real character. Enormous resources are diverted away from the public to maintain a nuclear arsenal and military apparatus. While this may be framed as protecting sovereignty, doing so at the expense of the population’s well-being and development is hardly something to celebrate.
I oppose war, though I recognize that even holding that position can be a privilege afforded by relative stability. The international system often resembles a jungle where power determines survival. But that reality does not justify authoritarian rule or the suppression of basic freedoms.
At the same time, modern democracies are not immune to serious vulnerabilities. Media manipulation, propaganda, and information warfare can distort public opinion and undermine democratic institutions. That is a real challenge for the future of democratic societies. However, those weaknesses should be addressed by strengthening democratic systems, not by abandoning them in favor of authoritarian rule.
And regardless of ideology, North Korea’s political structure bears little resemblance to socialist principles such as worker control or democratic ownership. Power is concentrated in a hereditary ruling family and a tightly controlled party elite.