North Korea has almost 3 million people at risk for starvation. Yet, while they live
in poverty, their Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-un, reportedly spent more than
half a billion dollars on yachts, parties, booze and food in 2012. Despite this, he seems
to be revered by his subjects. So let’s take a look at Kim Jong-un, and the public
perception of him in North Korea.
Many details of Kim’s early life are virtually unknown. We don’t even know his real age,
although it’s been said to be around 31. Kim Jong-un is the third and youngest son
of Kim Jong-il, the former leader of North Korea. In 2011 when the elder Kim
died, the role of Supreme Leader went to Kim Jong-un, instead of his older brothers, who
were at odds with the regime’s expectations. One was reportedly caught in Japan trying
to visit a theme park, and it was rumored that the other was considered to be effeminate.
As a leader, Kim Jong-un has mimicked the cult of personality surrounding his father
and grandfather’s rule. This regime style, used by other politicians like Joseph Stalin
and Mao Zedong, encourages and mandates positive views towards the state
dictator, so that public obsession with the monarch resembles a cult following. Although
Kim Jong-un has been considered an inexperienced leader, the cult of personality surrounding
the Kim family has kept him a revered figure in North Korea.
While generally not accepted by most of the world, North Korean propaganda regularly ascribes
superhuman qualities to the country’s leaders. Recently, claims that Kim learned how to drive
when he was just 3 years old have been made, and he is generally regarded as a god-like
figure. This kind of information is constantly dictated through state media and schools to
the general public.
However, the supposed adoration of the Supreme Leader is considered to be motivated by the
fear of punishment. North Korea has a reputation for sending those not totally subservient
to the state to hard labor prison camps, along with generations of their families. The threat
of punishment is a powerful force of compliance in North Korea’s government.
Kim Jong-un’s cult of personality, along with propaganda and the country’s international
isolation protect and strengthen Kim’s control. Even if human rights violations abound in
his country, citizens of North Korea have no choice but to embrace their Dear Leader.
Sometimes it seems like the differences between North and South Korea are almost too extreme
to be real. On our new show Seeker, we took a look at the overwhelming popularity of plastic
surgery in South Korea, and the effects it has on their society. That link’s in the
description, so check it out. Thanks for watching TestTube!