/InsideNK Follow @inside_nk
InsideOverviewPeopleMilitaryEconomyEnergyDaily lifeHuman rightsPropagandaClass systemWorldSanctionsHistoryReligionSport & cultureHealthDefectorsCitiesTransport
THE CLASS SYSTEMUPDATED 24 OCT 2026

Songbun: born into your rank

North Korea says everyone is equal. In practice, the state files every family by its loyalty - and your grandparents' past can decide your job, your school and where you may live.

The ranksHow it works
The ranks

Three classes, about 50 categories

~30%
Core class
Party and state families, war heroes, revolutionaries. Estimate by former CIA analyst Helen-Louise Hunter. Source
~40%
Wavering class
Ordinary workers, farmers, small traders. Source
~30%
Hostile class
Descendants of landlords, religious believers, people who fled south, prisoners' families. Source
51
Sub-categories
12 core, 18 wavering, 21 hostile. Source
How it works

The file that follows you

17
Age your file starts
Security officials keep a record on everyone from 17, updated every two years. Source
1967-70
Built from a national check
Every family's background was investigated after a 1966 census. Source
Party
Membership depends on it
Songbun largely decides who can join the Workers' Party - the key to a good career. Source
Money
Now matters as much
Since the markets grew, wealth can buy what background once decided - except at the very top. Source

More inside North Korea

Who runs it, the military, energy, daily life and more.

All topics
Sources

Where this comes from

Figures are public estimates and may be dated - North Korea publishes almost no statistics.