I'd say it's not wise to base your conceptions on a society based on those details. Every society is a complex one, and should be treated as such. If you study the history of Korea, you will understand a bit better where they come from, and the development of their society.

The people of Korea have a history of fighting for their life and dignity against colonizers and imperialists. They were one of the most bombed countries in the world, by the US military. Yet they have managed to achieve their sovereignty, at least half of it, and up to this they they are striving for self-reliance. Take a look at this article, it's a brief outlook on the Juche philosophy, the guiding philosophical framework of People's Korea.

But "Supreme Leader" for the Korean people doesn't mean obediently serve a monarch as in "absolutism", it simply means a title of a governing position. For instance, in Brazil, we have an institutional organ called "Supreme Federal Court", but it's not supreme at all. The fascist right-wing corporate-military government of Bolsonaro, currently supported by the US, constantly clashes with the supreme court.