A comparison between People's Korea and Socialist Albania .

                                               

A comparison between People's Korea , the land of Juche and the former People's Socialist Republic of Albania (People's Republic of Albania before 1976 ) is interesting for a number of reasons . Firstly , some commentators with poor knowledge and understanding of both countries highlight superficial or apparent similarities between the two such as the fact that both countries stressed self-reliance . Some commentators described Albania as ‘ Europe’s north Korea ‘. Secondly , even today there exist supporters of the old Party of Labour of Albania, the ruling party of the former People's Republic of Albania , some of whom claim ' Albania ' was the only true socialist country and disparage Juche socialism.
                                           

Indeed some other similarities can be seen . Albania used the term ideological revolution which was also used and is still used in People's Korea. Also the term revolutionization . Socialist Albania like People’s Korea also had to fight against factionalist groups and interference by big powers .
However when studied more deeply you can see many differences. For example, People's Korea collectivised agriculture in a short space of time and completed collectivisation in 1958 whereas ‘hardline’ and ‘pure ‘ Albania did not complete collectivisation until 1967 , over 20 years after the revolution .
                                       

Whilst Albania claimed it was very independent until 1977 it pursued a close relationship with China , even naming some things after Mao Zedong . Whilst the DPRK had always emphasised self-reliance , in Albania it was not strongly emphasised until after 1977 when China turned on Albania and cut off credits .
The DPRK under President KIM IL SUNG and chairman KIM JONG IL developed the Juche idea whereas Albania adhered to Marxism-Leninism , but with Leftist and ultra leftist deviations such as abolishing ranks in the armed forces.
Whilst socialist Albania combatted factionalism in the party and upheld monolithic unity , the DPRK went further and created the monolithic ideological system of Juche in 1967.
                                         

There is one very important and fundamental difference between the DPRK and the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania . Today People’s Korea exists whereas the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania was abolished in 1991 and the Party of Labour of Albania became the Socialist Party of Albania in 1991 .It would appear that Enver Hoxha whilst militantly denouncing revisionism all the time failed to see it under his very nose ; his successor Ramiz Alia who was a sort of Albanian Gorbachov basically destroyed socialism in Albania . Here we can see a distinctive strength of People’s Korea , namely the correct solution of the question of succession.
Dr Dermot Hudson