North Korea certainly deserves its title of the Hermit Kingdom of East Asia. Even today, for many that country remains a riddle wrapped up in an enigma. Does North Korea really have no COVID-19 cases? Has Kim Jong-un really executed people with a flamethrower? Is everyone there forced to get a Kim Jong-un haircut? As a North Korea watcher, in this podcast I do my best to provide short but detailed responses to these and other most common questions about this country. The podcast is powered by Anchor. For more details visit - askmeaboutdprk.wordpress.com
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episode 21: Episode 21 – Who was Kim Il-sung and how did he shape North Korea?
Kim Il-sung is, perhaps, a name that you do not hear all that much these days, if you are not a North Korea watcher. What you might hear way more often is the name of his grandson, Kim Jong-un, who is the current head of the North Korean state. However, it was Kim Il-sung, who shaped North Korea as we know it today – as the most controlled society in the world. It was Kim Il-sung, who plunged the Korean Peninsula into the bloodbath of the Korean War and cemented the division of Korea. It was Kim Il-sung, who created a personality cult that remains unparalleled in humanity’s modern history. The founder of North Korea maintained his grip on power for almost half a century until he passed away in 1994. In today’s episode I try to take a broad look at how Kim Il-sung’s life as a political leader shaped North Korea as a country and society we know today.