An expert on North Korea sheds new light on the enigmatic tyrant
From his goose-stepping military parades to his clownish macho swagger, North Korea’s Kim Jong-il is an odd amalgam of political cartoon and global menace. In charge of a nuclear arsenal he’s threatened to use against the U.S. and Japan, the man, his motives, and the mechanisms of his absolute control over a country of twenty-three million people remains shrouded in mystery.
In this second edition of his bestselling Kim Jong-il, Michael Breen, a leading expert on North Korea, dispels common myths and fallacies about the so-called ‘Dear Leader, ‘ while turning a spotlight on the man to reveal his true nature and the nature of his hold over a country ravaged by poverty and famine.
* Looks at Kim from a broad perspective, unlike most other books that cater exclusively to those interested in policymaking and international relations
* Features new information about succession plans, as well as the latest scoop on the mounting pressure among world leaders to thwart North Korea’s nuclear ambitions
* Illustrated with rare photographs of Kim and his regime
Highly accessible and suitable for anyone interested in learning more about North Korea, it’s government, and its leader, Kim Jong-il unravels the mysteries, the myths, and the fallacies about the man in charge in ways that will entice even the harshest critics.
Table of Content
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xvii
Chapter 1 Dark Country 1
Pool of Darkness 4
Who Is Charlie Chaplin? 7
Teaching Journalists 9
Chapter 2 Two States 15
Kim Il-sung and the Division of Korea 19
The Cold War 23
Chapter 3 Going Nuclear 29
North Korean Aggression in 2010 31
Weapons of Mass Destruction 34
Anti-Americanism in South Korea 37
Chapter 4 Dear Boy 41
Childhood and War 44
Teaching the Teachers 50
Chapter 5 Dear Successor 55
How Kim Jong-il Was Chosen 57
Dear Leader and His Loves 62
Chapter 6 Portrait of the Artist 67
Limiting the Joy 69
Kim Turns to Kidnapping 72
Chapter 7 Is Jong-il Evil? 77
Kim the Micromanager 79
The Temper and the Humor 84
How His People See Him 87
The Malignant Narcissist Theory 89
Chapter 8 Country of the Lie 93
The Secret to North Korean Communism 95
Race-Based Nationalism 99
Trouble with the Truth 101
The Control on Information 103
Chapter 9 The Gulag 107
The Gulag 109
The Story of Lee Soon-ok 110
Kang Chol-hwan: Child of the Camps 116
Chapter 10 The One Fat Man 121
A Journey through Russia 123
The Struggle for Food 124
Escaping to China 127
Chapter 11 Submerging Market 131
Looking in Vain for Signs of Change 134
Tourists from South Korea 136
Business Zones for China and South Korea 137
Chapter 12 Follow the Money 141
Chapter 13 Collision Course 145
Notes 151
Korean Names 163
Recommended Reading 167
About the Author 173
Index 175
About the author
MICHAEL BREEN lives in Seoul and is one of the best-known commentators on Korean issues. He arrived in South Korea in 1982 as a journalist, covering both North and South Korea for several newspapers before giving up journalism to become a management consultant advising companies dealing with the communist state. His business now focuses on South Korea although he continues to write columns and commentaries on both countries. He is the author of The Koreans: Who They Are, What They Want, Where Their Future Lies.
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