Dictator's Dilemma (Full Episode) | North Korea: Inside the Mind of a Dictator
National Geographic・19 minutes read
Kim Jong-Un, ruling North Korea, faces a choice between maintaining the brutal communist past or becoming a modern leader, sustaining his regime through illicit trade. Kim has shown signs of modernization but still surrounds himself with bodyguards to protect his privacy, while his sister plays a key role in propaganda and maintaining control in a dual dictatorship with a focus on modernizing North Korea.
Insights
- Kim Jong-Un faces a critical choice between preserving North Korea's oppressive communist history or embracing a more modern leadership style, as evidenced by his interactions with world leaders and public appearances with his first lady.
- The emergence of a dual dictatorship led by Kim Jong-Un and his sister, Kim Yo-jong, showcases a strategic balance between projecting a softer, modern image to appeal to the younger generation and maintaining traditional control mechanisms like fear and aggression to uphold authority and power in North Korea.
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Recent questions
Who is Kim Jong-Un and what is his role in North Korea?
Kim Jong-Un is the 36-year-old ruler of North Korea, commanding the world's fourth-largest military. His family has ruled the country for over 70 years through violence and terror. Kim faces a dilemma between maintaining the brutal communist past or becoming a modern leader. He has shown signs of modernization by stepping out with his first lady and meeting world leaders.
How does the North Korean regime sustain itself financially?
The North Korean regime sustains itself through illicit trade, including guns, drugs, counterfeit cash, and cybercrime. This illegal trade helps fund the regime and maintain its power structure.
What influenced Kim Jong-Un's leadership style?
Kim Jong-Un's time in Switzerland as a teenager influenced his leadership style, leading to the construction of ski resorts and theme parks in North Korea. This exposure to Western culture has influenced his approach to leadership and modernization efforts in the country.
Who is Kim Jong-Nam and what happened to him?
Kim Jong-Nam, Kim Jong-Un's elder half-brother, was an informant for the CIA. He was assassinated in 2017 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport by two female assassins using a deadly nerve agent. The operation involved lookout men, a chemist, a getaway driver, and a team leader.
What role does Kim Jong-Un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, play in North Korean politics?
Kim Yo-jong rises through the ranks to become her brother's propaganda chief, playing a crucial role in approving media and press directed to Kim Jong-un. She becomes a key player in North Korean politics, even surpassing generals in rank and taking on roles in party affairs and foreign relations. Kim Jong-un and Kim Yo-jong establish a dual dictatorship, with Kim focusing on a kinder image while his sister maintains order through traditional tools like fear and aggression, aiming to modernize North Korea while retaining control.
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Summary
00:00
Kim Jong-Un: North Korea's Modern Dilemma
- Kim Jong-Un, ruler of North Korea, is 36 years old and commands the world's fourth-largest military.
- His family has ruled North Korea using violence and terror for over 70 years.
- Kim faces a dilemma between maintaining the brutal communist past or becoming a modern leader.
- The North Korean regime sustains itself through illicit trade, including guns, drugs, counterfeit cash, and cybercrime.
- Kim Jong-Un has shown signs of modernization by stepping out with his first lady and meeting world leaders.
- Kim's elder half-brother, Kim Jong-Nam, was an informant for the CIA, leading to his assassination in 2017.
- Kim Jong-Nam was killed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport by two female assassins using a deadly nerve agent.
- The assassination operation involved lookout men, a chemist, a getaway driver, and a team leader.
- Kim Jong-Un surrounds himself with bodyguards who inspect his food and provide a portable toilet to prevent foreign intelligence agencies from analyzing his feces.
- Kim Jong-Un's time in Switzerland as a teenager influenced his leadership style, leading to the construction of ski resorts and theme parks in North Korea.
31:36
Kim Jong-un and Kim Yo-jong's Dual Dictatorship
- Kim changes his wife's official title from comrade to first lady, portraying her as a modern aspirational figure akin to Kate Middleton in North Korea.
- To lead North Korea into the future, Kim focuses on building loyalty and wooing his generation by experimenting with internet and cell phone access, even authorizing social media stars.
- Kim's sister, Kim Yo-jong, rises through the ranks to become her brother's propaganda chief, playing a crucial role in approving media and press directed to Kim Jong-un.
- Kim Yo-jong's prominence grows as she becomes a key player in North Korean politics, even surpassing generals in rank and taking on roles in party affairs and foreign relations.
- Kim Jong-un and Kim Yo-jong establish a dual dictatorship, with Kim focusing on a kinder image while his sister maintains order through traditional tools like fear and aggression, aiming to modernize North Korea while retaining control.
