Juche calendar

The Juche calendar (Korean: 주체력) was the system of year-numbering used in North Korea between 1997 and 2024. It begins with the birth of founding father Kim Il Sung, whose birth year, 1912 in the Gregorian calendar, is Juche 1 in the Juche calendar. The calendar was adopted in 1997, three years after the death of Kim Il Sung. It has been reported that as of October 2024 the calendar is no longer in use, in favour of the Gregorian calendar.^[1]

Juche calendar
A Juche calendar for Juche 99 (2010)
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl	주체력
Hancha	主體曆
Revised Romanization	Jucheryeok
McCune–Reischauer	Chuch'eryŏk
Juche Era
Chosŏn'gŭl	주체년호
Hancha	主體年號
Revised Romanization	Juche nyeonho
McCune–Reischauer	Chuch'e nyŏnho
1997–2024 (27 years)

History

The calendar borrows elements from two historical calendars used in Korea, the traditional system of Korean era names and the Gregorian calendar in which years are tied to the traditional birth of Jesus. In contrast to these two, the Juche calendar begins with the birth of the founder of the Democratic People's Republic, Kim Il Sung.^[2]

The decree on the Juche calendar was adopted on 8 July 1997, on the third anniversary of the death of Kim Il Sung. The same decree also designated the birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung as the Day of the Sun. The birth year of Kim Il Sung, 1912 in the Gregorian calendar, became "Juche 1" in the Juche calendar.^[3][4]

The calendar began to be implemented on 9 September 1997, the Day of the Foundation of the Republic.^[3] On that date, newspapers, news agencies, radio stations, public transport, and birth certificates began to use Juche years.^[5] The Gregorian calendar was used alongside the Juche calendar until 2022.^[6] In October 2024, North Korea started to stop using the Juche calendar. On 13 October 2024, Rodong Sinmun stopped using the calendar in favour of solely using the Gregorian calendar.^[7][8] The new official calendars for the year 2025, released on 1 January, were the first in decades to not show the Juche year, replacing what would have been Juche 114 with 2025 instead. It is believed that the abandonment of the Juche calendar is intended to de-emphasize the cult of personality around the founder of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, in order to strengthen that of Kim Jong Un.^[9]

Usage

The year 1912 is "Juche 1" in the Juche calendar. There are no "before Juche" years; years before 1912 are given numbers based on the Gregorian calendar only. Ranges of years that begin before 1912 and end after it are also given in Christian calendar numbers only.^[10]

Any other years after 1912 will be given in either Juche years only, or in Juche years and the corresponding year in the Christian calendar in parentheses. In material pertaining to relations with foreign countries, "the Juche Era and the Christian Era may be used on the principles of independence, equality and reciprocity."^[10]

During the system's period of use between 1997 and 2024, the Juche calendar was a popular souvenir among tourists visiting North Korea.^[11]

Examples

Juche year	Gregorian year	Dangun year	Event
1	1912	4245	Kim Il Sung's birth
8	1919	4252	March 1st Movement against Japanese rule
30	1941	4274	Kim Jong Il's birth (Soviet records)
31	1942	4275	Kim Jong Il's birth (North Korean records)
34	1945	4278	Liberation of Korea from Japanese rule
37	1948	4281	Establishment of North Korea
39–42	1950–1953	4283–4286	Korean War
71	1982	4315	Kim Jong Un's birth (North Korean records)
72	1983	4316	Kim Jong Un's birth (South Korean and U.S. records)
83	1994	4327	Kim Il Sung's death
83–87	1994–1998	4327–4331	North Korean famine (Arduous March)
86	1997	4330	Introduction of the Juche calendar
100	2011	4344	Kim Jong Il's death
113	2024	4357	Abolition of the Juche calendar

See also

• North Korea portal

• Public holidays in North Korea
• The year numbers of the Republic of China calendar, currently used in Taiwan, match those of the Juche calendar.
• The years in Japan's Taishō era (30 July 1912 to 25 December 1926) coincided with those of the Juche calendar.