North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is apparently utilizing his grandfather Kim Il-sung's slogan of juche or "self-reliance" in rehabilitating the country's sluggish economy in another way of mimic of the deceased leader. 

Kim Jong-un's physical appearance, hairstyle, gestures and clothing are said to strikingly resemble that of his grandfather, who founded the communist country in 1948 and laid the foundation of the state before his death in July 8, 1994. 

Now, his efforts to revitalize the country's moribund economy are based on Kim Il-sung, who created the ideology of juche or self-reliance in every sector of the country's state policies.

The North's media Uriminzokkiri, a propaganda web site, emphasized Tuesday the need for the whole nation to rally behind the North Korean leader in rehabilitating the economy through self-strengthening by sublimating the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance initiated by Kim Il-sung.

Experts say that the North Korean leader is recycling the word self-reliance in his efforts to rehabilitate the country's economy through the use of a similar word, self-strengthening.

In his New Year's message, Kim devoted most of his address to promises of reviving the local economy, pledging to concentrate resources on building a strong economy and bringing about dramatic improvements in living standards for the people. 

Kim said that the country should work out economic plans in an innovative way and give a strong push on the principle of developing all the sectors at an exponential speed by relying on the inexhaustible creative strength of the working people. 

"We should accurately identify the main link in the whole chain of economic development and concentrate efforts on it while revitalizing the overall economy," he said.

Referring to self-reliance, Kim said, "We should be proactive in organizing and launching the work of establishing on a full scale our style of economic management method which embodies the Juche idea, thus giving full play to its advantages and vitality." 

Tongil Sinbo, a North Korean weekly magazine that highlights activities taking place in the North, explained in its Monday edition that self-strengthening is a power to make people stronger, saying Kim Il-sung has made the socialist country into a great model of self-reliance envied by the whole world.

The magazine then said self-reliance and self-strengthening have a close link, an indication that the young North Korean leader's economic policy has been recycled from his grandfather's policy. 

Analysts said that Kim Jong-un needs more of his grandfather's ideology in performing his state policies to further solidify his grip on power. 

The North relies on such massive personality cults to justify the Kim family rule and is thought to be emphasizing Kim Jong-un's "royal bloodline" as it consolidates his power among the elite and the rest of the population. (Yonhap)