Juche calendar
The Juche calendar, named after the Juche ideology, is the system of year-numbering used in North Korea. It begins with the birth of Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea. His birth year, 1912 in the Gregorian calendar, is "Juche 1" in the Juche calendar. The calendar was adopted in 1997, three years after the death of Kim Il-sung.
| Juche calendar | |
A Juche calendar for Juche 99 (2010) | |
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 주체력 |
| Hancha | 主體曆 |
| Revised Romanization | Juche ryeok |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chuch'e ryŏk |
| Juche Era | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 주체연호 |
| Hancha | 主體年號 |
| Revised Romanization | Juche yeonho |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chuch'e yŏnho |
History
The calendar borrows elements from two historical calendars used in Korea, the traditional system of Korean era names and the Gregorian calendar in which years are tied to the traditional birth of Jesus. In contrast to these two, the Juche calendar begins with the birth of the founder of the Democratic People's Republic, Kim Il-sung.[1]
The decree on the Juche calendar was adopted on 8 July 1997, on the third anniversary of the death of Kim Il-sung. The same decree also designated the birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung as the Day of the Sun. The birth year of Kim Il-sung, 1912 in the Gregorian calendar, became "Juche 1" in the North Korean calendar.[2][3]
The calendar began to be implemented on 9 September 1997, the Day of the Foundation of the Republic.[2] On that date, newspapers, news agencies, radio stations, public transport, and birth certificates began to use Juche years.[4]
Usage
The year 1912 is "Juche 1" in the North Korean calendar. There are no "before Juche" years; years before 1912 are given numbers based on the Gregorian calendar only. Ranges of years that begin before 1912 and end after it are also given in Christian calendar numbers only.[5]
Any other years after 1912 will be given in either Juche years only, or in Juche years and the corresponding year in the Christian calendar in parentheses. In material pertaining to relations with foreign countries, "the Juche Era and the Christian Era may be used on the principles of independence, equality and reciprocity."[5]
The Juche calendar is a popular souvenir among tourists visiting North Korea.[6]
Examples
| Juche year | Gregorian year | Dangun year | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1912 | 4245 | Kim Il-sung's birth |
| 30 | 1941 | 4274 | Kim Jong-il's birth (Soviet records) |
| 31 | 1942 | 4275 | Kim Jong-il's birth (North Korean records) |
| 37 | 1948 | 4281 | North Korea founded |
| 39–42 | 1950–1953 | 4283–4286 | Korean War |
| 71 | 1982 | 4315 | Kim Jong-un's birth (North Korean records) |
| 72 | 1983 | 4316 | Kim Jong-un's birth (South Korean and U.S. records) |
| 83 | 1994 | 4327 | Kim Il-sung's death |
| 86 | 1997 | 4330 | Juche calendar introduced |
| 100 | 2011 | 4344 | Kim Jong-il's death |
| 101 | 2012 | 4345 | 100 years after Kim Il-sung's birth |
| 111 | 2022 | 4355 | Last year |
| 112 | 2023 | 4356 | Current year |
| 113 | 2024 | 4357 | Next year |
See also
- Public holidays in North Korea
- Republic of China calendar, currently used in Taiwan, whose year numbers match those of the Juche calendar (for unrelated reasons).
- The years in Japan's Taishō era (30 July 1912 to 25 December 1926) also coincided with those of the Juche calendar.
References
- ^ Andrew Logie (17 September 2012). The Answers: North Korea: How do you solve a problem like North Korea?. Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd. p. 57. ISBN 978-981-4398-90-9.
- ^ a b Hy-Sang Lee (2001). North Korea: A Strange Socialist Fortress. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 220. ISBN 978-0-275-96917-2.
- ^ Martin K. Dimitrov (31 July 2013). Why Communism Did Not Collapse: Understanding Authoritarian Regime Resilience in Asia and Europe. Cambridge University Press. p. 104. ISBN 978-1-107-03553-9.
- ^ . KCNA. 10 September 1997. Archived from the original on 3 June 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
- ^ a b . KCNA. 25 August 1997. Archived from the original on 5 May 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
- ^ 北朝鮮で高コスパ土産として人気のカレンダー3種類を徹底解析. Korea World Times (in Japanese). 31 March 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2020.