electoralism

AES includes China which collaborated with the West to build its economy and reversed the workers protections gained in Mao's era for neoliberal reform and a IMF export economy.

It also includes Vietnam, and both countries still have relations with Israel. China recently just raised the retirement age and wealth inequality has only grown. Cuba faces similar sanctions challenges the the DPRK and also allows for private industry for capitalists.

I think it's unhelpful to analyze Marxism in terms of publicly available political speech and not the actions and organization of the state itself. The issue is then that the DPRK isnt an open book when it comes to internal affairs outside of what's published in state media sources. Of course, thats also just due to the fact that imperialists would like to know exactly how the WPK operates just as we do.

The DPRK enshrines basic standards of living into its contitution: free education, schooling and healthcare (all not guaranteed under AES like China or Vietnam). The DPRK also practices collectivized agriculture. It establishes SEZs while also maintaining a socialist mode of production outside of it. Its foreign policy has consistently been left: supporting Russian SMO, never recognizing the Zionist occupation, breaking off relations with the ROK. Just this year, a resort for domestic tourists was built and the government is focusing on building housing in Pyongyang. The DPRK's military support for Russian SMO has also broken the liberal sanctions barrier with its historic ally.

If a national bourgeois did exist in NK, then why would they ever choose to play pretend socialism when they could easily join their international class at any point (multiple points, such as the famine in the 90s, nuclear deals with Clinton, etc)? While I don't argue that this class definitely does not exist and that there isnt an urban rural split/ Pyongyang class elite, rejecting the AES term for NK on the basis of criticizing Juche's idealist framing isnt a complete analysis.

I'd like to read more analysis of the DPRK based on the affairs of the country that we do know rather than the published writings of its leaders.