Introduction

a. Synopsis

In 2020, a revolution in North Korea led by the citizens established a new era. Kim Jeong Eun was abdicated, dissolving the government and yielding to the revolutionists on the condition that the revolution keeps the son alive and sustain the bloodline as a nominal leader. The revolutionists agreed to this because the young son was very different from his predecessors. He was wise and humble, and strongly opposed violence. Also, he felt sorrow for the less fortunate and always tried to help them. He had also been educated in the same progressive ideas in which the revolutionists believed. Since he shared their beliefs and values, the revolutionists confided in the son. Another reason why the revolutionists decided to keep the Kim bloodline was because they believed that despite the violent and remorseful past it had incurred, the Kim bloodline still was part of their history and identity. Also, even though they were brutal, the Kim dictators had once been respected leaders of the people. Since the revolutionists believed in the value of tradition and respect for the elder, they concluded that sustaining the bloodline was their best effort to show the least of their courtesy.

 

 

As a result, the son of Kim Jeong Eun became the constitutional monarch of the new state. The actual construction of the new state proceeded under the leadership of the three commanders of the revolution, Lim the Luminosi, Suh the Summus, and Schunke the Scitus. As the leaders of the revolution, they led the process of formulating the organizational structure of the new state. In the end, with their leadership and wisdom, Lim the Luminous, Suh the Summus, and Schunke the Scitus founded the kingdom of Less is More.

b. Core Philosophy

“Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” – Lao Tzu

Rooted in the “Primordial” or “Original” Taoism, the founders of Less is More believed that humans could find happiness near themselves. The founders perceived human desires and urges to be endless. Even if humans achieve a state of contentment, this happiness is only temporary because they would eventually want more than their present conditions. As a result, the founders believed it was impossible to ever fully satisfy human desires and thus to sustain their happiness.

For such reasons, the founders concluded that happiness is much more difficult to find outside than to find it inside when one innately discovers happiness from abandoning unnecessary desires and urges. By decreasing the expectation and enjoying the simple way of life, one can achieve more satisfaction.This is the fundamental of  the philosophy “Less is More.”

The founders thought that if every member of the community believed in Less is More, he or she would be able to solve many problems that other societies were facing. North Korea presents the best case in which to actualize this principle. The existing residents of North Korea have never had high expectations of wealth, shelter, or even basic human rights, resulting from the suppression ever since the 1950s when the Kim regime came into place. As is the case, if the “Less” part is already achieved, the task then is to produce “More”. Through the deliberation of the founders Suh, Lim, and Schunke, the “More” will be areas of politics, economy, environment, health, and society.

The two key interpretations for our Less is More is therefore:

Less Expectations,

Less Complexity

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More Happiness

Life in the utopian Less is More state is organized around these two principles which will be found in each of the areas mentioned above. It must be noted, however, that discouraging the satisfaction of intangible goods, such as political freedom and social freedom, is not part of “Less” in “Less is More”, for the founders believed that the deprivation of rights to have political and social freedom does not make the society better but oppressive. On the other hand, discouraging the satisfaction of tangible goods from consumption is part of “Less” and does lead to “More.”

c. Political Structure

This section tries to describe the general features of the political system of the Less is More. The core motto of our kingdom, as the name suggests is “Less is More.” This however does not mean that no government can be found. One of the key characteristics is that our kingdom tries to serve the people and therefore “Less is More” is focused on the people and the government is the means to achieve the end of “Less is More” and happiness for the people.

 

The form of our government is parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy. The three main branches are Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary. A Monarch’s authority is symbolic and representational. As a result, he or she does not directly engage in politics. However, he or she serves as a  symbol of the state and through him or her the people can feel as one unified entity. The Executive consists of a Prime Minister and five Ministers. Each Minister represents the five ministries, which govern the five core wellnesses of the people. The Legislative is comprised of a unicameral Parliament, which is responsible for the making and passing of new laws. Last is the Judiciary, which is an independent branch and whose officials are appointed by the Executive and  approved by the Legislative.

We believe that the government should guarantee everyone’s basic needs, which include political, economic, environmental, physical and mental, and social needs. As a result, these needs are stringently tended to by the five ministries so that no one is deprived of these needs. However, concerning issues other than the securing of these basic needs, the government’s role is minimized. This is because we believe the bigger the government, the more complicated the political process becomes. We believe that a complex system creates fragmentation and indirectness. As a result, issues other than the securing of the basic needs are approached by non-governmental entities such as businesses and citizens.