This raises a number of important questions. Why has the North Korean leadership not followed the example of China and Vietnam a fow decades ago? Why has it allowed the three-generation power succession to huppen, and power to fall to an heir who is poorly equipped to govem? Why is the new Nor h Kotean regime continuing to pursue earlier policies and ideologies, even though North Korea desperately needs change? What theoretical implications can be drawn fiom this continuation of old policies and ideologies under the new regime? And, finally, what can we say about the future pros pects of the policy directions of the Kim Jong-un regime on the basis of such theoretical implications? These are the issues that will be considered in this study. The present study uses path-dependence theory and new daia to help answer these questions. This study consists of five parts, including this introduction. The next part reviews path dependence theory, while the third part considers the three most powerful and comprehensive political and ideological legacies of the North Korean regime the monolithic system, Juche ideology, and the military-first policy which are apparently exerting great influence on North Korea's political processes today. The fourth part examines the characteristics and the policy se of the Kim Jong-un regime on the basis of what has transpired so far. The final purc discusses the major theoretical impli- cations of the present study.