Robert Marquand of the CSM wrote an interesting read on how North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has not only managed to hang on, but even appear stronger and more popular than ever. Here’s a sample:
Certainly, Kim has become a skillful player on the world stage. He retains firm hold of the most totalitarian state on earth. His nation has survived an epic famine. Kim has astutely nullified a dawning realization among his people that the world beyond North Korea’s borders is a better place. He’s even created a new image for himself at home - not as a towering patriarch - but as a figure of sympathy, a beleaguered, America-taunted leader who eats soldier’s gruel and deserves care by the masses. He’s played a smart propaganda game in South Korea, where some elites admire him as a nationalist torchbearer for “true Korean-ness,” and for outwitting the great powers.
Read the rest on your own.
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What the hell does that mean?
Yuri, the Russian name. He misspelled it.
I thought that might be so, but given that “Uri” is a voguish Korean word, wasn’t sure.
Still, interesting that he was given a Russian name.
I see that somewhere along the line my reference to the South’s “miscegenation”, as in Pyongyang’s criticism thereof, became “misogynistic.”
One could argue that the South is misogynistic, of course, and if the North were really a Marxist-Leninist country it would say so, but this is not something that Pyongyang has ever expressed much interest in.
There is a chance that running a country during a food crisis is easier than running one that has enough food for everyone to eat. The people may only survive the food crisis, but the government comes out stronger.
Basically, too many people means not enough food means it’s easier for the government to come in and take more control. All it has to do is say, “Someone needs to be in charge of what little we have.” You don’t even need a lot of people, just the right ratio of mouths to food. (I’m stealing the above idea from vague memories of Brave New World Revisited.)
Obviously, this is not the only reason why North Korean rulers have been able to keep control, but it might explain some of their success.
“Still, interesting that he was given a Russian name.”
He was born Yuri Irsenovich (from his father’s Russian name Ir-sen) Kim, but was known as ‘Yura’ (a nickname of Yuri) until he started attending school. At least one man who is believed to be one of his half-sibling, all of which are believed to be high ranking members of the North Korean government (their existance and their real rank are tightly kept secret in North Korea), has been known to switch names depending on who he talks to. His father started the trend. He was born Kim Sung-ju.
‘Tis the season for eulogies.
Everyone knows that Two cards; “isolation” and “Songun - military-first ideology” is always used for maximum ruling security for KJI, his royal family and his followers. And obviously 10 years of SK’s ruling progressive (or socialist) politicians gave more powers to his control.
“Obviously, this is not the only reason why North Korean rulers have been able to keep control, but it might explain some of their success.”
Another reason why is because he can antagonize the United States and not worry about any backlashes. He takes advantage of this as ‘proof’ for his propaganda machine.
The U.S. can do nothing about it, the knows that if they pre-empatively strike NK, than millions of SKoreans could die. I know what some one of guys are probably thinking. But in the realistic viewpoint (for sake of reputation and responsibility) they wouldn’t do it.
There many reasons why he has been able to maintain power:
1)He and his father have purged everyone who had or could have popular support that rivals theirs (the other early North Korean leaders and South Korean communist leaders were purged after the war). Kim Jong-il has been known to execute a few high ranking member of government who has slighted him and has sent others to gulags.
2)Kim Jong il has brought the cults of personality based around his father, and him, to new heights starting in the 70’s. 40% of the North Korean budget is spent on maintaining this charade, which is probably the strongest contributing factor to the collapse of the North Korean economy.
3) North Koreans are made to believe that everything they ever receive, from the food on their plates to the roofs over their heads, were gifts from Kim Jong-il…and this indoctrination begins when they are still toddlers.
4) There are spies everywhere ready to report any conversation that can be understood as being critical of the government.
5) Kim Jong-il’s extended family (half-siblings and cousins) hold all key positions in the government.