Kim Jong Un and the children: developing ‘their own way’



Analysis Kim Jong Un and the children: developing ‘their own way’ The third Kim pays special attention to children in fiction, rewarding a surprising individuality Tatiana Gabroussenko April 29, 2016 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Long-Awaited Father stills The cult of North Korean leaders is based on the postulate of the leader as the father of the nation who, as with any good father, does not discriminate between his children. According to the official mythology, the Father Leader (the title applied to all three Kims) spreads his protection over all strata and generational groups of North Korean society; the geography of his “on the spot guidance” covers the whole territory of the DPRK. A closer look at the practice of North Korean leadership shows, however, that every North Korean “father” had his own soft spot: an area of leadership which he enjoyed or interested more than others. For Kim Il Sung it used to be heavy industry, for Kim Jong Il culture and cinematography. As for Kim the Third, in addition to his affinities for sports and pop culture, he so far has demonstrated particular interest to the world of North Korean childhood. The cult of North Korean leaders is based on the postulate of the leader as the father of the nation who, as with any good father, does not discriminate between his children. According to the official mythology, the Father Leader (the title applied to all three Kims) spreads his protection over all strata and generational groups of North Korean society; the geography of his “on the spot guidance” covers the whole territory of the DPRK. A closer look at the practice of North Korean leadership shows, however, that every North Korean “father” had his own soft spot: an area of leadership which he enjoyed or interested more than others. For Kim Il Sung it used to be heavy industry, for Kim Jong Il culture and cinematography. As for Kim the Third, in addition to his affinities for sports and pop culture, he so far has demonstrated particular interest to the world of North Korean childhood. Become a member for less than $4 per week. Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

Analysis

Kim Jong Un and the children: developing ‘their own way’

The third Kim pays special attention to children in fiction, rewarding a surprising individuality

Tatiana Gabroussenko April 29, 2016

Kim Jong Un and the children: developing ‘their own way’

Long-Awaited Father stills

The cult of North Korean leaders is based on the postulate of the leader as the father of the nation who, as with any good father, does not discriminate between his children. According to the official mythology, the Father Leader (the title applied to all three Kims) spreads his protection over all strata and generational groups of North Korean society; the geography of his “on the spot guidance” covers the whole territory of the DPRK.

A closer look at the practice of North Korean leadership shows, however, that every North Korean “father” had his own soft spot: an area of leadership which he enjoyed or interested more than others. For Kim Il Sung it used to be heavy industry, for Kim Jong Il culture and cinematography. As for Kim the Third, in addition to his affinities for sports and pop culture, he so far has demonstrated particular interest to the world of North Korean childhood.