The purpose of this paper is presenting newly interpreted characters of North-Korean ruling-system(Herrschaftsystem). Its theoretical foundation is based on arguments of West-German(German) neo-marxists in 1970s, Kalecki's ‘socialist growth model' a...
The purpose of this paper is presenting newly interpreted characters of North-Korean ruling-system(Herrschaftsystem). Its theoretical foundation is based on arguments of West-German(German) neo-marxists in 1970s, Kalecki's ‘socialist growth model' and Elsenhans' concept of production mode and idea of politics embedded in economy in underdeveloped-society. North-Korean system has universal characters as a real-socialist state, and it is testified by structural contradictions of transitional-society. Structural contradictions in North-Korean System is primacy of politics in relation between politics and economy, economic crisis and retardation of economic growth caused by overaccumulation and suppressed demand, and class relations between bureaucrats and workers.
The plan in North-Korean System reflects these structural contradictions as main instrument of Herrschaft and ‘gesellschaftlische Synthesis(social synthesis)'. It is controlled and managed with plans to appropriate, allocate, and utilize economic surplus in North-Korean System. North-Korean System had made steady centralized characteristics of plan and had completed rapidly planning-system in 1950~60s. Political Power do not have only capability to mobilize resources, but ultimately to expand extension of power to social·economic sphere and form ruling-system(Herrschaftsystem). This study analyse the characteristics of ruling-system centering on plan reflected structural contradictions in North-Korean System which the prototype was completed in making process of economic management system in 1950~60s.
Primacy of politics between politics and economy in North-Korean System is comprised of 'political direction to economy' or 'guidance of party', its contents is the direction of party to production. Concretely, the direction of party operates through appropriation of economic surplus and transforming market elements to plan. And it is comprised of primary accumulation of heavy industry and suppressed demands in distribution and utilization of surplus products. Guidance of party expanded through plan from 'agricultural collectivization' in 1954 to 'the Unified and Detailed Planning System' in 1964. Power seeks primary investment in heavy industry for high rate of economic growth in the short-terms. Power needs capability to mobilize resources based on consolidating centralized characteristics of plan for its goal. Political power forms ruling-system(Herrschaftsystem) based on strengthening right of control and management for surplus product and labor in this process. This intention of power, however, isn't carried as intended. ‘Formal operation law of value' represents that there are decentralized elements within plan and are limits to force its elements to take into plan.
North-Korea's Economy succeeded in post-war recovery and based on primary investment in heavy industry, but overaccumulation and control of demand gave rise to economic crisis and retardation of economic growth. Intensified investment in heavy industry brought about unbalance of industrial structure, and constraint of consumer-demand lead to disequilibrium in relation between investment and consumption. As a result North-Korean Economy confronted economic crisis repeatedly. North-Korean System carries on some policies to control of demand the rationing system, turn-over tax, currency reform etc. Ruling-power mobilizes resources for primary investment in heavy-industry and want to have much difficulty in putting down shortage of consumer-products without solving the fundamental problems through these policies. Nevertheless overinvestment in production-goods industry made worse unbalance of industrial structure, after all brought about repeated economic crisis. Fundamental reason of economic crisis is interruptions in supply and demand in planning and execution. Because plan-economy has no signal like price and profit in market-economy, and basically produces use-value and leads to attainment of production-goal with physical materials index, it called for ‘supply-side economy'.
Bureaucratic class has the right to appropriate and allocate economic surplus in North-Korean System. Bureaucracy divides in political bureaucrats which has actual right to set up plan and middle·low bureaucrats which execute plan. Bureaucratic class is caught in self-privileging tendency as well as compulsion to legitimize. Bureaucracy utilizes economic surplus to legitimize because privilege which bureaucracy enjoy is based on power. For example, Bureaucracy investments surplus for achieving high rate of economic growth in short-terms. The other hand, bureaucratic class tends to self-privilege. The plan identifies socialism and considers as realizing interests of working mass, but its centralized characteristics actually play a crucial role to reproduce power and privilege. Bureaucracy seeks self-interests through plan. In the other side, working class is the subject producing economic surplus, but is alienated in allocation and utilization of economic surplus. It is verified through suppressed demand. The power continues to suppress social demand in plan and forces working-class to improve labor-productivity. Working-class isn't leading class of revolution and subject of economic management, but mere suppliers of labor-power. Rapid economic growth in the short-terms lead to ‘shortage of labor' and ‘political full-employment' is instrument to control and mange working class rather than contribute to improve autonomy of working-class. Working-class is dependent upon bureaucratic class to keep livelihood so it forms patron-clients between working class and bureaucratic class.
Structural contradictions in North-Korean System circulate and interact among each other. If economic crisis occurred, primacy of politics would solved it. Bureaucracy consolidates right to control and manage economic surplus and labor in this process. Plan changes the characteristics as the means of social synthesis. Power wants to exclude value-categories and law of value and to dominate plan of physical materials, confront, however, some limit because of decentralized elements within plan and discontent from below in reality. Accordingly plan accepts formal-rationality, value-categories and modified law of value.
North-Korean System is not only that had monopolized power by Kim Il-Sung as the result of power-struggle in 1950~60s, but expanded also extension of power in social·economic sphere and formed Herrschaftsystem. North-Korean System strengthens power and forms order of rule(Herschaftsordnung) based on promoting to consolidate centralized characteristics of plan rather than transforming policy in spite of repeated economic-crisis. Bureaucratic class enjoys privilege in this process. Economic crisis is solved by another contradictions like primacy of politics and class contradiction. North-Korean System uses more plans actively as means of social synthesis in process of circulating among contradictions. North-Korean System is not a society which had overcame capitalistic contradictions as one of real socialist states, but transitional society which has another new contradictions. As we consider structural contradictions and characteristics of plan as main means of social synthesis, North-Korean System is “transitional society” as sui generis mode of production which cannot determine capitalism nor socialism.