How closely does North Korea's government resemble the one envisioned by Karl Marx's communist doctrine?

Answer 1

Not at all.

Just because a government claims itself communist does not make it communist. North Korea is not a communist government the way Karl Marx envisioned it to be. North Korea, much like "communist" Russia and China, is a totalitarian Dictatorship.

There are a few key components that would make a country Communist, and North Korea (as well as the USSR) failed to fulfill these conditions.

1. There must be a capitalist society existing before the Communist revolution.

2. The capitalist society must birth two classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The proletariat consists of the poor working class and the bourgeoisie consists of wealthy business owners.

3. The proletariat must undergo terrible working conditions, and must then revolt against the oppressive bourgeoisie that instigated such conditions.

4. The proletariat then establish a government that represents the demands of the working class and is essentially leaderless.

North Korea did not have a class struggle described above, it was simply turned communist by communist political activists after WWII.

Answer 2

North Korea's government has deviated significantly from Marx's communist doctrine. While Marx envisioned a classless society where workers collectively owned the means of production, North Korea has consolidated power under a single ruling party and leader, creating a highly centralized and authoritarian regime. The country's political structure and economic system do not align with Marx's vision of communism.