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Kim Dynasty and its personality cult were created out of certain necessity. Kim Il-sung was not interested in joining the changing tide of the "communist world," let alone the rest of the world. When Khrushchev unleashed de-Stalinization, there was a same movement inside N. Korea. Kim's political opponents challenged his rule. Kim narrowly survived the power struggle. He purged all figures friendly to Soviet Union. Some N. Korean figures defected to Soviet Union and lived there for decades. While communist bloc(except China) relaxed its totalitarian grip, N. Korea responded by going the opposite direction. It even stopped cultural/human exchange with fellow communist countries. All N. Korean students studying in European communist countries were recalled and viewed as not trustworthy, because they could contaminate N. Korea. Kim Il-sung cannot tolerate deStalinized generic communism. Hence, Kim's admiration of Mao grew in comparison. Years later, Mao was gone and Deng changed the course of China. N. Korea again started to distance itself from China, tightening the inflow of information and personnel traffic. Still some years later, the whole E. European communist countries collapse in a short time span. N. Korea was in a shock, especially Kim Jong-il. They agonized over what lesson they can learn from it. Predictably, the answer is "to go in the opposite direction at full throttle."

N. Korea consistently bucked the trend in communist bloc for decades. It is the only country which was obsessed with preserving rule by personality cult. Hereditary succession has become indispensable. Even after death, Kim Il-sung's successor will renounce the Kim's supposed greatness. He wanted to be a grand idol in perpetuity. The only folks who can be trusted to carry out this job are his descendants.

It all started as one man's egomania who wanted to be exalted in his personality cult forever. Juche, self-reliance, is a strategy and ideology to ensure his untarnished greatness preserved. The legitimacy of his personality cult is earned from Juche. Juche should be put into action from time to time, to keep it fresh and alive. That is why N. Korean regime needs periodic provocations or some outrageous political maneuvers. To show that NK's godly great leader is indeed great, which justifies his status.

However, it has run its course. It will bite the dust, leaving behind a gruesome mess, which people around the world ponder over for many years to come.

You wrote: “When Khrushchev unleashed de-Stalinization, there was a same movement inside N. Korea. Kim's political opponents challenged his rule. Kim narrowly survived the power struggle. He purged all figures friendly to Soviet Union. Some N. Korean figures defected to Soviet Union and lived there for decades.”

Out of curiosity, do you know the history of Vladimir Kim of Kazakhstan, and the other Koreans who run the much of the oil and mining industry in Central Asia?

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/10/07billionaires_Vladimir-Kim_MWC1.html

I know a bit of the history of the Koreans who had been Japanese laborers in the southern half of Sakhalin Island who were kept there after World War II when the Soviet Union took control of the entire island, but I don't know the details of the Korean settlement of Soviet Central Asia and I'm wondering if these North Korean defectors were in that group.