it unfairly gets translated to self reliance, but its main point is that the dprk faces specific conditions that are unique and that simply following a soviet/sino/etc model towards socialism will not be a comprehensive fit. therefore, koreans, as the movers of their destiny, should carve a unique path towards socialism, relying on the three theaters of revolutions: revolution in the ideological sphere, revolution in the technical sphere , and revolution in the cultural sphere.