Juche (/dʒuːˈtʃeɪ/; ; Korean: 주체; lit. subject; Korean pronunciation: [tɕutɕʰe]; usually left untranslated or translated as "self-reliance") is the official ideology of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea described by the government as "Kim Il-sung's original, brilliant and revolutionary contribution to national and international thought". It postulates that "man is the master of his destiny", that the masses are to act as the "masters of the revolution and construction", and that by becoming self-reliant and strong, a nation can achieve true socialism.