Korean Social Democratic Party
Encyclopedia
The Korean Social Democratic Party (KSDP) is a political party
in North Korea
, allied with the ruling Workers' Party of Korea
. Initially a moderate social democratic
party, it was formed on November 3, 1945, by medium and small entrepreneur
s, merchants, handicraftsmen, petite bourgeoisie
, peasants and Christian
s under the aim to bring about a democratic
society after Japanese occupation
.
Theoretically the party adheres to national social democracy
befitting Korea’s historical conditions and national characteristics and its basic political motto is independence, sovereignty, democracy, peace and the defence of human rights
.
The party's ideology was shed over the years in favour of alliance with the Workers' Party of Korea. Until January 1981, the party was called the Democratic Party of Korea. It is part of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland
.
The party is currently headed by Kim Yong Dae (Hangeul: 김영대, Hanja
:金英大), whose title is Chairman of the Central Committee of the Korean Social Democratic Party and vice-chairman of the SPA since the election of 2009.
Very little is known of its activities these days, as nothing but the name of the current leader is published. As of January 2007, the party had more than 30,000 adherents.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, allied with the ruling Workers' Party of Korea
Workers' Party of Korea
The Workers' Party of Korea is the ruling Communist party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , commonly known as North Korea. It is also called the Korean Workers' Party...
. Initially a moderate social democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
party, it was formed on November 3, 1945, by medium and small entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
s, merchants, handicraftsmen, petite bourgeoisie
Petite bourgeoisie
Petit-bourgeois or petty bourgeois is a term that originally referred to the members of the lower middle social classes in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
, peasants and Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
s under the aim to bring about a democratic
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
society after Japanese occupation
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
.
Theoretically the party adheres to national social democracy
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
befitting Korea’s historical conditions and national characteristics and its basic political motto is independence, sovereignty, democracy, peace and the defence of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
.
The party's ideology was shed over the years in favour of alliance with the Workers' Party of Korea. Until January 1981, the party was called the Democratic Party of Korea. It is part of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland
Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland
The Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland, formed on 22 July 1946, is a North Korean united front led by the Workers' Party of Korea. It was initially called the North Korean Fatherland United Democratic Front...
.
The party is currently headed by Kim Yong Dae (Hangeul: 김영대, Hanja
Hanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
:金英大), whose title is Chairman of the Central Committee of the Korean Social Democratic Party and vice-chairman of the SPA since the election of 2009.
Very little is known of its activities these days, as nothing but the name of the current leader is published. As of January 2007, the party had more than 30,000 adherents.
See also
- Chondoist Chongu PartyChondoist Chongu PartyThe Chondoist Chongu Party is a united front party in North Korea and is labeled as democratic by the government of the country. The party was founded on February 5, 1946, by a group of followers of the Chondogyo religion...
- China Democratic LeagueChina Democratic LeagueThe China Democratic League is one of the eight legally recognised political parties in the People's Republic of China.The party was established in 1939 and took its present name in 1944. At its formation, it was a coalition of three pro-democracy parties and three pressure groups...
(中国民主同盟 or 民盟). Originally a league of pro-democracy parties. Formed by 144,000 members, mainly middle-level and senior intellectuals. - China Democratic National Construction AssociationChina Democratic National Construction AssociationThe China Democratic National Construction Association is one of the eight legally recognised political parties in the People's Republic of China that follow the direction of the Communist Party of China and are member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference...
(中国民主建国会 or 民建). Entrepreneurs from the manufacturing, financial or commercial industries, in both private and state sectors. - China Association for Promoting DemocracyChina Association for Promoting DemocracyThe China Association for Promoting Democracy is one of the eight legally recognised political parties in the People's Republic of China that follow the direction of the Communist Party of China and is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference...
(中国民主促进会 or 民进). Intellectuals, mostly in the education, technology and publishing sectors. Some 117,500 members. - Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic PartyChinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic PartyThe Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party is one of the eight non-communist, legally recognised political parties in the People's Republic of China that follow the direction of the Communist Party of China and is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.The...
(中国农工民主党 or 农工党). Most of its 65,000 members work in the fields of public health, culture and education, science and technology. - Democratic Party of Vietnam Democratic Party of VietnamThe Democratic Party of Vietnam was a political party in North Vietnam and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It was founded on 30 July 1944 to unite petty bourgeoisie and intelligentsia. It joined Vietminh. From 1954 to 1975, it was active in North Vietnam and from 1975 to 1988 in the re-unified...
- Socialist Party of VietnamSocialist Party of VietnamThe Socialist Party of Vietnam was a political party in Vietnam. It existed from 1946 to 1988. It was founded with the official aim of uniting 'patriotic intelligentsia'. Along with the Democratic Party of Vietnam, the Socialists joined the government of then-North Vietnam The Socialist Party of...
- Lao Socialist Party (exile group)
- Democratic Party (founded 1951)