Songbun (Korean: 성분; MR: sŏngpun), formally chulsin-songbun (Korean: 출신성분; MR: ch'ulsin sŏngpun, from Sino-Korean 出身, "origin" and 成分, "constituent"), is the system of ascribed status used in North Korea. According to the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea and the American Enterprise Institute, it is based on the political, social, and economic background of one's direct ancestors as well as the behavior of their relatives, songbun is used to classify North Korean citizens into three primary castes—core, wavering, and hostile—in addition to approximately fifty sub-classifications, and determine whether an individual is trusted with responsibilities, is given opportunities within North Korea,[1] or even receives adequate food.[2] The U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea and the American Enterprise Institute states that Songbun affects access to educational and employment opportunities and it particularly determines whether a person is eligible to join North Korea's ruling party, the Workers' Party of Korea.[3][1]
^ abMatthew McGrath (June 7, 2012). "Marked for Life: Songbun, North Korea's Social Classification System". NK News. Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
^Robert Collins (June 6, 2012). Marked for Life: Songbun, North Korea's Social Classification System(PDF). Committee for Human Rights in North Korea.
that range, Songbun is allegedly used to determine whether an individual is trusted with responsibility or given certain opportunities. Songbun allegedly...
independence. During his rise and consolidation of power, Kim created the songbun caste system, which divided the North Korean people into three groups....
the families with very high Songbun rankings. No wavering or hostile class children and very few children of high songbun, outside of the three “lines”...
characters in the television series Lost One of the classes in the North Korean Songbun system Hostile (disambiguation) This disambiguation page lists articles...
political elites are exempt from conscription, as are people with bad songbun (ascribed social status in North Korea). Recruitment is done on the basis...
political elites are exempt from conscription, as are people with bad songbun (ascribed social status in North Korea). Recruitment is done on the basis...
the families with very high Songbun rankings. No wavering or hostile class children and very few children of high songbun, outside of the three “lines”...
Korea's discriminatory social classification system, Marked for Life: Songbun, North Korea's Social Classification System, to a group of 200 people at...
to grips with law and business in high-risk North Korea". Asia Times. Songbun- North Korea's Social Classification System, pg.15 "North Korea – A Country...
no control but which determines all aspects of his or her life." Called Songbun, Barbara Demick describes this "class structure" as an updating of the...
left in North Korea) are: Mrs. Song – a pro-regime housewife with good songbun and past head of the block's inminban citizen's co-operative spying/reporting...
the individual is worth to trust, which is determined by the songbun. Also, a good songbun is a fundamental qualification for any individual who is willing...
labelled as members of the 'hostile class' and are considered to have 'bad songbun', i.e. "tainted blood". Kisaeng have played important roles in Korean popular...
raise the societal status of a person considerably by improving their songbun (ascribed social rank in North Korea). Saving portraits is based on an...
people to visit grave sites and their families. In contrast to the poor Songbun lower class North Koreans, middle and elite classes enjoy the holiday as...
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