North Korea has been at the center of political discussions for many years, which is why a lot of research has been done on its regime, its international status, its foreign policy and other questions. However, North Korea is not only a communist "hermit kingdom" created by Soviet troops during the Korean War, it is also a traditional Confucian state that shares some fundamental similarities with its neighbors. Moreover, this same Confucianism played an important role in the creation of the North Korean regime. Although it has been actively criticized for several centuries, this philosophy has proven to be a formidable tool for legitimizing power and a solid basis for the totalitarian state. In this essay, three topics will be discussed. First, the emergence and overview of Confucianism on the Korean Peninsula – its roots and changes over the years. Second, the importance of Confucianism in North Korea, emphasizing the analogy between family hierarchy and society structure. Finally, the comparison between North Korea and other Confucian states will be made to better understand the reasons why North Korea became the totalitarian state that it is. Confucianism, one of the most important East Asian philosophies, was present on the Korean Peninsula since the 4th century and for many centuries it played an important role in the transformation of Korean society (Lipman 45). Despite its roots in contemporary Ming China, Koreans adopted the fundamentals of philosophy through interpretation of classical texts. (Lipman 45) Since the beginning of its existence on the peninsula, philosophy was more prominent among elite men, it promoted feudalism and filial piety, creating an inferior group of slaves, women and com... .... middle of paper ......int.Levi, Nicolas, PhD. “The importance of Confucian values ​​for Kim Jong Il’s system.” (2012): 3-18. Print.Lipman, Jonathan Neaman., Barbara Molony and Michael Edson. Robinson. Modern East Asia: An Integrated History. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Print. Nanto, Dick K. and Mark E. Manyin. “China-North Korea Relations.” North Korean Review 7.2 (2011): 94-101. Print. Savada, Andrea Matles. North Korea: A Country Study. Washington, DC: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, 1994. Print.Young, Whan Kihl. “The cultural dimension and context of North Korean communism.” Korean Studies 18.1 (1994): 139-57. Print. Worden, Robert L., Andrea Matles Savada, and Ronald E. Dolan. China: a country study. Washington, DC: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, 1988. Print.-, -. “North Korea: the Kim family tree.” Time. Time Inc., and Web. March 30. 2014