New Ruler of North Korea ! What is Paektu Bloodline?

Choosing a leader in North Korea is a blend of official constitutional law and a de facto hereditary system centered on the “Paektu Bloodline.” While the law describes a democratic process, the reality is a dynastic succession that has lasted for three generations.

1. The Official Law (The “Paper” Process);

According to the Constitution of North Korea, the country is a “socialist state” where power technically rests with the people.

• The Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA): This is the highest organ of state power. Legally, the SPA is responsible for “electing” or “recalling” the top leaders, including the President of the State Affairs Commission (currently Kim Jong Un).

• Elections: Every five years, elections are held for the SPA. However, these are non-competitive; there is only one candidate per district, handpicked by the Workers’ Party. Voters simply mark “yes” or “no” (and “no” is considered a dangerous act of dissent).

• The Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK): The Constitution specifies that the state shall conduct all activities under the leadership of the WPK. In practice, the Party decides on the leadership, and the SPA “rubber-stamps” the decision.

2. The Real Power: The Paektu Bloodline:

Regardless of what is written in the law, leadership has always been hereditary. The ruling family is known as the Paektu Bloodline, named after Mount Paektu, a sacred mountain in Korean culture.

Historical Succession:

Leader	Period	How They “Won”
Kim Il Sung	1948–1994	Installed by the Soviet Union; consolidated power through purges.
Kim Jong Il	1994–2011	Chosen by his father; spent 20 years in “successor training” within the Party.
Kim Jong Un	2011–Present	Youngest son of Kim Jong Il; fast-tracked to power after his father’s health declined.

About Paektu Bloodline :

The Paektu Bloodline (or Baekdu Bloodline) is the official term used by the North Korean government to describe the direct lineage of the Kim family. It is the ideological foundation that justifies why only a member of this specific family is allowed to rule the country.

1. The Origin: Mount Paektu:

The name comes from Mount Paektu, an active volcano on the border of North Korea and China.

• Cultural Importance: For thousands of years, Koreans have considered Mount Paektu the spiritual birthplace of the Korean people.

• Political Myth: North Korean history claims that Kim Il Sung (the founder) led his guerrilla resistance against the Japanese from the slopes of this mountain.

• The Birth Legend: State propaganda claims that Kim Jong Il was born in a secret military camp on Mount Paektu (though historical records suggest he was actually born in a Soviet military camp in Russia). They claim his birth was marked by a double rainbow and a new star appearing in the sky.

2. Why the “Bloodline” Matters:

In North Korea, the right to rule is not based on a vote or even military merit—it is based on inherited “revolutionary” blood.

• Legitimacy: By linking the family to Mount Paektu, the state portrays the Kims not just as politicians, but as semi-divine figures who are the only ones capable of leading the “Korean Revolution.”

• The “Ten Principles”: North Korea has a set of laws called the Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System. In 2013, these were edited to explicitly state that the Party and the Revolution must be carried out “eternally” by the Paektu Bloodline.

3. Members of the Bloodline:

While there are many relatives, the “Bloodline” specifically refers to the direct descendants of Kim Il Sung.

Generation	Primary Figure	Status
1st Generation	Kim Il Sung	The “Eternal President” and founder.
2nd Generation	Kim Jong Il	The “Eternal General Secretary.”
3rd Generation	Kim Jong Un	Current Supreme Leader.
4th Generation	Kim Ju Ae	Kim Jong Un’s daughter; currently being framed as the next in line.