North Korean calendar

The ''Juche'' calendar () was the system of year-numbering used in North Korea between 1997 and 2024. Named after a key concept of North Korea's state ideology, 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.

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.

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.

The calendar began to be implemented on 9 September 1997, the Day of the Foundation of the Republic. On that date, newspapers, news agencies, radio stations, public transport, and birth certificates began to use ''Juche'' years. The Gregorian calendar was used alongside the ''Juche'' calendar until 2022. 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. 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.

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.

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."

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

Examples

See also

* 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.

References

External links

Example of "''Juche'' 103 (2014)"
from Pyongyang University of Science and Technology

{{calendars

1997 introductions
Culture of North Korea
Calendars
Modified Gregorian calendars
1997 establishments in North Korea