Since Sino-Soviet split in late 1950s, North Korea, along with Yugoslavia, declared itself as neutral countries, in the Communist hemisphere. They didn't align to neither Soviet of Chinese Bloc, in order to create stability & peace towards Communist states itself, but they maintaned good relations with Soviet & Chinese Bloc countries. Although neutral, both lived in a very diffrent policies. Yugoslavia is quite liberal & opened, while communist ideology still maintained in every aspects under the "Brotherhood & Unity" principles (e.g. collective economy with market influence). North Korea, became quite closed to the West & still repressive, although North Korea starting to open the relations with 3rd World countries. But in the 1950 & 1960s, both countries were very wealthy, although Yugoslavia still ejoy the boom until the 1970s. The de-Stalinization campaign under Revisionism ideology truly helped all Communist states, also N. Korea to reform en mass to enjoy rapid economic & prosperity boom. But it don't lasted long when Khruschev were deposed, Brezhnev took control. Brezhnev seems to "re-Stalinize" Communist states, incl. North Korea. Since then, the boom were slowed, although the boom still lasts until 1970s. The nightmare begun in 1970s when the "re-Stalinization" campaign triggered the stagnation in Soviet allied Communist states, also N. Korea & USSR itself. Communist states were starting to be left-behind with the West, Japan, & the Asian Tigers as the emerging economy at the time. In North Korea itself, Kim Il-sung introduces the Juche ideology as the state ideology & launched the new constitution in 1972. The 1972 constitution, along with the Juche ideology, were clearly a Stalinism, which worsened the stagnation until today. North Korea were slowly been passed by the South as a wealthy country.
Talking about Stalinism in North Korea, it's a very destructive power. It paralyzed the economic activities & civil rights. In the economic sector, the "military first" policy is the true form of Stalinism. Industries were forced to produce more military equipments which have low utility comparred with the consumer or capital goods. The industry were also hard to reform in order to compete because capital & consumer goods were unrecommended by the govt. Because of the low utility, the market paralyzed becuase the demand on consumer & capital good is higher than military equipments. The military first policy also affects the agriculture matter very seriously. The crop production shrinks due to lack incentives such as fertilizers, pesticides, supplements & its capital itself, while the food demand is always rising along with population growth. This sparked the new tragedy: famine. Poverty increased rapidly which also forced people to defect. Transportation, infrastructure, utilities & communications development were also paralyzed. In shortword, military-first policy has seriously crashed the civil economy, prosperity, & wealth in all forms. Also, they resists the civil technologial development. Unfortunately, the economic nightmare also worsened with the iron-fisted, autarky regime. Freedom of expression, also religious & travelling were severely repressed. Gulags, torture has been a very serious fear for all the people if they dare to criticize, fight or defect the state or the govt. Inhumane, corrupt, & cruel. That's 3 words to describe the North Korean govts. The economic & political backwardness made the North Korean people feel so frustrated, & desperate. They've been supressed, tossed out by the govt. This nightmare worsened the Communism image as "cruel, immoral, slow, & inhumane". Despite of this worse nightmare, however, North Korea still have a chance to end up this nightmare. It's the time for the general rehersal to be enforced. The development vision & mission must be based on humanity & social welfare as the truly main vision of socialism, anarchism, communism, syndicalism, populism & progressivism. Corruption, nepotism, complicated-imeprialist bureaucracy is a dead price to be fighted. The autarky policies should be ended.
Freedom of travel, expression, religion & faith, must be respected. Military-first policy must be lifted. In the economic, the industry must more focus on capital & consumer goods, which's very strategic to develop the economy. In order to maintain the economic humanism & the socialism itself, it's a good idea to develop a market-collective economy like in Yugoslavia, from command-collective economy, with the result, the economy is efficient yet humance (social), gurantees equality of wealth & prsoperity for all. To make North Korean industry & agriculture products were competitive, certainly, North Korea must develop a well Quality Control systems. Deming system is a very good model to be developed by North Korea. Japan, S. Korea, & Taiwan is a very good model for N. Korea to develop it's industry products' quality, but of course, in this matter, science & technology is very important key to develop it. Reflecting in China's modernization, N. Korea can switch the military industry & science & technologies into consumer/capital goods industry & technologies, like we seen in China, a previously artillery shell factory switched into a gas (LNG & LPG) container factory, despite maintaining the market-collective economy Also, in the energy sector, which also fitted with political interests, North Korean nuclear program is very dualist. In one hand, nuclear program is a strategic path to build-up the armament, which's recognized as very dangerous, but in other hand, "civilized" nuclear program can be very useful for science & technology development, not only in armaments, but also in agriculture, industry, medical, & lots more. The matter is, the de-nucelarization process of N. Korea (within the destruction of Yongbyon reactor) is full with political interests. North Korea have lost their chance to develop further cvil science & technologies (such as agriculture, industry, health, etc.). Although Korean peninsula's soil is still considered fertile, this' not volcanic soil as we seen in Japan! Of course, the productivity is practically lower, & even, he North Korean geography is very mountainous, which's mostly have less arable land compared with the plain land (South Korea has more plains). But in the mineral resources, it's an ace for N. Korea because of its rich deposits which made N. Korean were easily industrailized since Japanese occupation & recover easily after the Korean War, along with Eastern Bloc aid. BTW, industry was also supported by R&D facilities, so collaboration between govt & collectives is highly couraged to support technology development esp. for industry. Besides, gots R&D is highly needed to assists the science & technoloical development for all economy, & even more, life sectors.No doubt, North Korean military manpower is one of the largest in the World, esp. its Army. Again, the technological baackwardess, esp. in the Navy, still made N. Korean military focused in conventional wars, but in this technological age, IT has played an important role in all aspects of life, incl. the military, although engineering also played an important rule in military equipments as the reflection of its performance. However, in the manpower, both Korean states has conscription. The matter is, there's no alternatives in conscription except imprisonment. N. Korea must ease the conscription rule into alternative services which have an equal period as military service, and/or, abolish the conscription & replace it with "character building" program to build up good character & to turbocharge their vocational skills (besides informal job training facilities) before they enter the labor world or continuing to tertiary education. But once again, any militarist touch (like in scouting as "mini conscription") is totally discouraged. As we seen in most communist states before, in the youth world, since in elementary schools, they've enforced scouting activities (like Komsomol or Pioneers, although they don't mention as scouting as we seen like "Hitler's Youth" in Nazi Germany era), as most of them is like a some sort of "mini-conscription" to seek the young Communist Parties' cadres. It's also militarist, though, so it'll be better to be abolished, & scouting were just remains as regular extracurricular, & not mandatory. Humanitarian matters also holds a serious effects for the economic & political life. Eduation should be compulsory & free at all level, from pre-school to tertiary, neither formal or informal, to all people, neither North Koreans & foreigners & the method must develop a humane, independent, efficient, & durable human resources. Thinking critically, but practical & assertive is a key factor to develop a humane yet sturdy people.
So that's why, the human rights must be enforced. Skilled labors & entreprenurship is a key factor to build the economy. Vocational education is a very strategic & important to be developed in the secondary & even teritary education. Job training facility as an informal education also important to create skillfull labor, so it must be also enforced, like we seen in Europe. Labor laws & unions is a vital ke as they were the "icon" of syndicalism. Never ever practice outsourcing system as it will hurtb the Communist & Juche principle! Last but not least, entrepreneurship is very imortant too be enforce, esp. from education, to not only create skilled labor, but also visionary to power innovation, & creativity as an important factor in present-day economy & science & technology. Within this way, I believe that North Korea would transform into a libertarian socialist state, promoting humanity, justice, equality, independence, & establishment for all. This would crank up the socialist-communism image as "humane, independent, neutral, & sturdy".
