the north koreans call it juche 100.uche is the national ideally of self-reliance invented by kim il-sung. the official mantra has been that the country should be a powerful and prosperous country. and the powerful they have got because they have got nukes. the emphasis was on the prospero prosperous. so you had the indications of focusing on the economy. i came away with a sense that it was more relaxed and a little bit more open to being open. than it had been before. and i -- it's very hard to interpret what that means, and it may well be in this period f of, you know, national tragedy and crisis that the north koreans will tighten things up again which is a natural response. but there were these very interesting vibes that were significantly different from the conventional picture of north korea that a lot of people have. >> well, fascinating insight there from mike chinoy about north korea's look youth look. and a documentary has been filmed and the flow of refugees is a major concern for pbeijing if there's instabi

kim jong il became steeped in his father's philosophy of juche or self-reliance and the north became more reclusive. the north and south never signed a peace treaty, and remained technically at war. gradu gradually, kim jong il was groomed for the top, making public appearances in front of cheering crowds. when kim il-sung died in 1994, he was the president. and by 1998, as head of the army he consolidated his position of absolute power. >> he will be remembered as a person who was responsible for awful things. for the existence of one of the worst dictatorships in probably not only korean history, but in the world history. at least in the 21st century. yes, he did not create the dictatorship. but he took responsibility and made sure it continued for many year years. >> reporter: he was known for his love of fine wines, where food shortages were common. while the dear leader as he became known is said to have indulged in the appetite for the finer things, his people were literally starving to death. the collapse of the soviet union hit north korea hard. suddenly ending guaranteed tra