[Market Generation]① 'North Korean MZ' Threatening Kim Jong-un

Experience of 'Autonomous Capitalism' Amid Distribution System Collapse
Individualism Prominent... Yearning for 'Freedom' Over Loyalty
Former NIS Chief: "Must Conduct Advanced Cultural Psychological Warfare"

Editor's NoteKim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, is continuously building walls, turning North Korea into his own fortress. However, a stronger crack has already begun from within. The generation of young people who grew up during the collapse of the rationing system no longer believe that the 'Supreme Leader' will protect the people. These youths, who choose to live for 'themselves' rather than sacrifice for the Party, crave freedom instead of loyalty. We explore the potential for change that could shake the Kim family's dictatorship, which has been entrenched for over 70 years, focusing on the Jangmadang Generation.

"Loyalty? The Supreme Leader never even gave me a bowl of corn porridge."

When asked about her thoughts on the 'Supreme Leader,' Kim Eun-jung (a pseudonym), a defector in her 30s, gave this response. This rebellious mindset, which was unimaginable in past North Korea, reflects individualism where 'I' matter more than the Party. She belongs to the 'Jangmadang Generation.'

Eun-jung sighed as she recalled her teenage years in North Korea. Her father worked at an enterprise but did not receive enough rations for the family. The burden of livelihood fell on her mother, who went to the jangmadang (market). Eun-jung said, "Every day, one by one, girls my age disappeared from the neighborhood," adding, "They were sold to China."

She said, "I thought I would die here somehow," and "I never believed that the Supreme Leader, whom I had never even seen, would save me." Ultimately, Eun-jung left behind family members who opposed her and defected. At the end of 2011, when the Kim Jong-un regime began, she was nineteen as she stepped onto the frozen Tumen River.

Kim Jong-un's Headache: The Jangmadang Generation Leading Change

A new driving force for change is emerging in North Korea, which has been isolated from the outside world for over 70 years. The harsh laws of the Kim Jong-un era, which punish the distribution of South Korean dramas by execution, ironically reveal the North Korean leadership's fear of this young generation. They are the North Korean version of the MZ Generation (Millennials + Generation Z), called the 'Jangmadang Generation,' with the potential to overthrow the dictatorship.

North Korea defines generations based on the historical background experienced during youth. The 1st generation is the revolutionary generation that fought alongside Kim Il-sung and the anti-Japanese guerrillas; the 2nd generation is the Chollima generation, which experienced the Korean War and post-war recovery. The 3rd generation led the three major revolutionary brigades movement in the 1970s, and the 4th generation endured the Arduous March in the 1990s.

With the opening of the Kim Jong-un era, the 5th generation, the current youth generation entering society, has no specific term within North Korea. Externally, they are called the 'Jangmadang Generation.' They were born and raised during the collapse of the rationing system in the 'Arduous March' period. Considering their age, this generation includes those born from the early 1980s, currently in their 20s to 40s. Millennials are generally defined as those born from 1980 to the mid-1990s, and Generation Z from the mid-1990s to 2005, roughly matching this range. This is why the Jangmadang Generation is referred to as the 'North Korean MZ.'

Looking at population composition, one can estimate the influence this generation holds in North Korea. Since accurate statistics are unavailable, the UN population estimates and South Korea's Statistics Korea data were used to compare generational proportions. In 1980, when the Jangmadang Generation began to be born, the proportion of people aged 10 to 40 was 65.4% in South Korea and 66.2% in North Korea, a similar level. Last year, South Korea's proportion dropped to 50.1%, while North Korea's 10 to 40 age group, corresponding to the Jangmadang Generation, remained high at 57.9%. Narrowing down to the 20s and 30s, South Korea was 25.9%, and North Korea was 30.8%, widening the gap.

The large proportion of the Jangmadang Generation means they lead societal perceptions overall. It suggests that future change will be driven by them, and thus, North Korea policy and psychological warfare should focus on this group.

Experience of Capitalism Due to Rationing Collapse: "Me Over the Party"

In 2019, residents gathered to trade at a marketplace in Hyesan City, Yanggang Province, North Korea.
[Photo by Kang Dong-wan, Professor at Dong-A University]

The Jangmadang Generation, having grown up experiencing spontaneous capitalism, exhibits a pronounced 'individualistic' tendency. This directly contradicts Juche ideology, which has dominated North Korean residents' beliefs. This is why they are seen as a potential source of change.

The foundation that enabled the Kim family's dictatorship for a long time was the 'rationing system.' It was a means to promote the Party and the Supreme Leader's benevolence. Officially, it was the state's responsibility for food, clothing, and shelter; in reality, it was a cruel control tool that starved those who disobeyed. The Jangmadang Generation emerged alongside the collapse of this rationing system.

Due to food shortages, government control over the economy weakened, and border trade and jangmadang markets rapidly expanded. Not only food and daily necessities but also real estate transactions took place. Residents generated 'informal income.' It was not just about buying and selling goods; it was also a space where 'information' circulated and ideas were shared.

Professor Park Won-gon of Ewha Womans University’s Department of North Korean Studies pointed out, "In capitalism, people achieve and enjoy economic prosperity according to their efforts, which is the core of how individualism develops." The more individualism emerges from capitalist experience, the lower the dependence on and loyalty to the state. This parallels European history, where the Industrial Revolution weakened royal power and began democracy, and South Korea's democratization linked to the rise of the middle class.

Professor Park analyzed, "Once economic stability is achieved, people begin to talk about political rights. While it is difficult to say that radical change will happen immediately, the Jangmadang Generation will pose a significant challenge to Kim Jong-un."

"Advanced Psychological Warfare... North Korean Troop Deployment, a Dangerous Gamble"

It is a dangerous mistake to think that the Jangmadang Generation will immediately cause regime collapse. Various surveys show that young people's opinions on nuclear weapons possession differ depending on their exposure to external information. There are suggestions that advanced psychological warfare is necessary to activate the latent power for change.

Former National Intelligence Service Director Kim Kyu-hyun recently said in his first lecture after retirement, "There are two parties in North Korea: the Workers' Party and the Jangmadang," emphasizing, "Psychological warfare considering the characteristics of the Jangmadang Generation must be conducted." He stressed the need to awaken the 'potential resistance energy' of young people who did not benefit from the Party.

From this perspective, there is also a forecast that North Korea's recent troop deployment to Russia could be a critical turning point. A government official said, "A large-scale troop deployment is a complete gamble for Kim Jong-un," adding, "If fear of the battlefield and death, combined with exposure to external information, occur, even if young soldiers return alive, they will pose a threat to Kim Jong-un."

Series Order

①People at the Center of Change: The 'North Korean MZ'
②'Vulnerable Regime' - At This Rate, North and South Koreans Will Become Different Races
③A Security Officer Who Dreamed of the 'ROK Army' After Defection
④Beards and Torn Jeans, North Korean Girls in Flux
⑤Expert Recommendations: The Potential of the Jangmadang Generation