Why is North Korea the way that it is? Why is it not just a standard underdeveloped Marxist-Leninst / Communist country in the way that, say, Cuba or Vietnam are? Why did it abandon Marxist-Leninist orthodoxy for the quasi-religious ideology of the Juche Idea? How and why did it's neo-imperial cult with religious overtones become distinct from the more standard Stalinist personality cults of other Communist nations?
This answer gives a pretty decent overview of how North Korea became the way it is today:
Hopefully this doesn't stop anyone from answering but it should give you some context on how North Korea became the place it is today.