Is There a Word for ‘Government by the Dead’?

North Korea has a unique form of government. Most people would say that North Korea is a dictatorship or an autocracy, but those words do not accurately describe North Korea’s kind of government. North Korea is governed by the dead. Kim Jong-un is the absolute ruler of North Korea. He is Chairman of the Worker’s Party and holds several other titles. However, the President of North Korea is Kim Il-sung, even though he has been dead for over 20 years. His title is ‘Eternal President of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.’ That means that the title of President of North Korea will never again be held by a living person. (See photo below of the current president of North Korea.) The head of the North Korean armed forces is also dead. Kim Jong-il is the ‘Eternal Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army.’ Kim Jong-il died in 2011, but he is still the head of the North Korean military. So – this means that the President of North Korea is dead and the supreme commander of North Korea’s armed forces is also dead. I teach history, and frankly, I can’t think of another country in the history of the world that was ruled by the dead. I have asked some other history teachers about this, and none of them could think of another country that was ruled by dead men, nor could any of them think of a word to describe this form of government. Is there a word for this? If there is, let me know. I am curious. I like odd words. I picked that up from my Uncle Maurice. What do you call ‘government by the dead’? kim