Recent Events in DPRK Intrigue Watchers of Kim Jong-Il
The latest round of events in North Korea continue to intrigue the media and watchers of Kim Jong-Il.
The Japanese monitoring agency Radiopress has reported:
“North Korea's official media on November 17 dropped the glorifying description of "dear leader" from the nation's leader Kim Jong Il.”
Although events in the North Korea are always shrouded in mystery, many watchers of its affairs have suggested that Kim Jong-il might be trying to tone down the cult worship by his people. One reason might be in order to improve his image with the United States. Some speculate that downsizing the personality cult might be aimed at avoiding negative rhetoric with the second Bush administration over its nuclear ambitions and human rights issues.
I contact Leonid Petrov, a Seoul-based scholar on North Korea whose insights I value. He has checked the DPRK's radio transcripts. Petrov notes, “They continue using ‘Dear Leader’ as before. But sometimes they use the longer version of Kim's credentials (i.e. Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the DPRK National Defense Commission) instead of the Dear Leader) and, in that case, they omit the ‘Dear Leader’.” Furthermore the North Korean scholar comments…“No end is visible... KJI is in business as usual. But the image is changing. Now he tries to play the role of a democratic Leader: fewer portraits are on display and more time spent for inspecting the servicemen's libraries, bedrooms, mess halls, kitchens, and washrooms...”
As always, I look forward to your questions and comments on Korea, its business culture, and issues that impact U.S-Korean business.
Don Southerton
310-866-3777
The Japanese monitoring agency Radiopress has reported:
“North Korea's official media on November 17 dropped the glorifying description of "dear leader" from the nation's leader Kim Jong Il.”
Although events in the North Korea are always shrouded in mystery, many watchers of its affairs have suggested that Kim Jong-il might be trying to tone down the cult worship by his people. One reason might be in order to improve his image with the United States. Some speculate that downsizing the personality cult might be aimed at avoiding negative rhetoric with the second Bush administration over its nuclear ambitions and human rights issues.
I contact Leonid Petrov, a Seoul-based scholar on North Korea whose insights I value. He has checked the DPRK's radio transcripts. Petrov notes, “They continue using ‘Dear Leader’ as before. But sometimes they use the longer version of Kim's credentials (i.e. Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the DPRK National Defense Commission) instead of the Dear Leader) and, in that case, they omit the ‘Dear Leader’.” Furthermore the North Korean scholar comments…“No end is visible... KJI is in business as usual. But the image is changing. Now he tries to play the role of a democratic Leader: fewer portraits are on display and more time spent for inspecting the servicemen's libraries, bedrooms, mess halls, kitchens, and washrooms...”
As always, I look forward to your questions and comments on Korea, its business culture, and issues that impact U.S-Korean business.
Don Southerton
310-866-3777
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