<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV>Many thanks for what would appear to be the definitive word on the dates of the statue. Now I'm wondering if I did see it in 1992 -- I was there with a large group organized in Japan that stayed in Pyongyang for one or two nights before going on a special train to the northeast trade zone, Rajin and Sonbong, now known as Rason. (We slept on berths in the train for 2-3 nights.) It's hard to believe they wouldn't have had us all bowing before the statue so maybe my memory is incorrect and I saw it then for the first time. </DIV>
<DIV>For sure I saw it in 1995 since they had us all trooping by the embalmed body of the Great Leader right afterwards. (I was with a bunch of Canadian Koreans who had signed up for a "sports and culture festival," which turned out to be mainly crazy wrestling matches like those you see on TV in the decadent west, organized by wrestler Inoki in Japan. Their sole purpose in going was not for the wrestling but to try to see some of their long lost relatives, which some of them managed to do briefly. Incidentally, I heard the culture minister who organized the festival, before thousands filling the stands of Kim Il Sung Stadium, got in trouble afterwards.)</DIV>
<DIV>So the greater drama of these visits may well have obscured my memory of when I saw the statue for the first time.</DIV>
<DIV>Don Kirk<BR><BR>--- On <B>Sat, 12/22/12, Jim Hoare <I><jim@jhoare10.fsnet.co.uk></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"><BR>From: Jim Hoare <jim@jhoare10.fsnet.co.uk><BR>Subject: Re: [KS] Gold leaf on the Kim Il Sung statue in the Mansudae GrandMonument?<BR>To: "'Korean Studies Discussion List'" <koreanstudies@koreaweb.ws><BR>Date: Saturday, December 22, 2012, 12:44 PM<BR><BR>
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<P class=yiv592175430MsoNormal><FONT color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">According to <I><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic">A Sightseeing Guide to Korea</SPAN></I>, published in Pyongyang in 1991, “On the hill [Mansu Hill] is the Mansudae Grand Monument. the bronze statue to President kim Il Sung, memorials and mosaic murals. The monument was erected in April 1972 on the occasion of the 60<SUP>th</SUP> birthday of President Kim Il Sung.”. The book also has a picture. Another picture appears in the illustrated book, <I><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Pyongyang</SPAN></I>, published in 1990. In his book, <I><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Kim Il Sung: The North Korean Leader</SPAN></I>, published in 1988, Suh Dae-sook also gives the date as April 1972. He notes that the statue stands on the spot where “a shrine was erected during the Japanese occupation for worship of the deified
Japanese emperors.” The statue is also shown on a 40 <I><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic">chon</SPAN></I> stamps issued on 15 April 1973.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430MsoNormal><FONT color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Holiday greetings to all</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430MsoNormal><FONT color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Jim Hoare</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
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<P class=yiv592175430MsoNormal><B><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> Koreanstudies [mailto:koreanstudies-bounces@koreaweb.ws] <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>don kirk<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> 20 December 2012 23:46<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> kwlarsen67@gmail.com; Korean Studies Discussion List<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: [KS] Gold leaf on the Kim Il Sung statue in the Mansudae GrandMonument?</SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV>
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<P class=yiv592175430MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I thought that statue was erected after the Great Leader's death in 1994 -- don't recall being led there for the usual flower-laying and bowing when first in Pyongyang in 1992. Was back in 1995 when I saw the statue for the first time -- before trooping into the huge building in back (I should know its name but don't) and seeing his embalmed body under glass. (The body is now across the river in Kumsusan beside that of his son.) The statue was definitely bronze-coated at the time -- I suspect the bronze is on top of cement or concrete -- not gold. Incidentally, I know what gold leaf looks like on soaring monuments -- think of the flaming torch on Merdeka Square in Jakarta where I arrived in 1965. Gleaming in the sun. Not so this one of Kim Il-sung.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
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<P class=yiv592175430MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Don Kirk<BR><BR>--- On <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Thu, 12/20/12, Kirk Larsen <I><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><kwlarsen67@gmail.com></SPAN></I></SPAN></B> wrote:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt" class=yiv592175430MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><BR>From: Kirk Larsen <kwlarsen67@gmail.com><BR>Subject: Re: [KS] Gold leaf on the Kim Il Sung statue in the Mansudae Grand Monument?<BR>To: "Ruediger Frank" <ruediger.frank@univie.ac.at><BR>Cc: koreanstudies@koreaweb.ws<BR>Date: Thursday, December 20, 2012, 12:19 PM</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
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<P class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Rudiger’s comments both illuminate and complicate the gold leaf statue story somewhat.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">It is definitely the case that DPRK rhetoric is filled with stories of the benevolence of its leaders and their constant desire to share the meals, working conditions, and lifestyles of the average citizen. Kim Il Sung was renowned for this and there were at least some attempts to cast Kim Jong Il in the same light (c.f., the “Story of the Returned Boots” being taught to schoolchildren and teachers alike in the film <I><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic">North Korea: A Day in the Life</SPAN></I>). This impulse is arguably consistent with the socialist aim of leveling and creating a classless society (more than a little paradoxical in the land of <I><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic">sŏngbun</SPAN></I>). It also echoes at least some older traditional Korean/Confucian practices. I am reminded of King Sejong mourning his mother: </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt" class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=2 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">“It was the hottest season of the year but he discarded his softer yo (mattress) and used only a rough mat to lie on. Those about him placed oil-paper beneath lest the dampness should harm him, but he refused it and had it taken away.”</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">But the original question of whether there actually was gold leaf on Kim’s statue at one point remains unanswered. It seems to me that there are a couple of possibilities here:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">--there was gold leaf but it was later removed. This may have been for cosmetic reasons (too shiny), ideological reasons (Kim wanted to burnish (pun intended) his “man of the people” image), or for more practical reasons (desire to keep Chinese aid flowing), or some combination of the above. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">--there never was gold leaf but the regime either tolerated or actively encouraged the story of loyal and respectful workers calling for gold leaf only to be gently declined by the magnanimous Kim Il Sung. If so, perhaps the story of Chinese criticism was added later by critics of the regime. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">If the reality is that there never was gold leaf on the Kim statue, this raises some interesting questions about the credulity of the largely foreign North Korea-watching and commenting community. How many other things have we gotten wrong but continue to repeat and recirculate simply because the stories are too good, too lurid, too engaging to pass up.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">On the other hand, one could make an argument that even if the actual story isn’t “true” in the sense of actually having happened, it still conveys deeper “truths” about the nature of the DPRK regime and its leadership: cult of personality, pragmatic and calculating concession-seeking, etc. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Will the real North Korea please stand up?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv592175430msonormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Cheers,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt" class=yiv592175430MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><BR>Kirk Larsen </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
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<P class=yiv592175430MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">On Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 1:49 AM, Ruediger Frank <<A rel=nofollow>ruediger.frank@univie.ac.at</A>> wrote:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
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<P class=yiv592175430MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Dear Kirk,<BR>I have no photo of the golden one, but the story I was told by the NKs about 20 years ago was slightly different: that the workers (sic!) originally wanted to have it covered in gold leaf, but the great leader, in his typical humbleness, insisted on "simple" bronze. Of course I don't know whether this was a mere ex-post modification of the official "text". In any case, it would correspond well with the ages-old ideal (rarely achieved) that rulers "go down" to the people and lead a "simple" life. North Korean literature and art is full of examples; just think of the often told and pictured story at the Ch'òllima steelworks (<A href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephferris76/6974483452/" rel=nofollow target=_blank>http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephferris76/6974483452/</A>) where the leader refused to sit on a chair and rather sat on a piece of
debris (which is now preserved as a national treasure). Funny, in the 1970s in the Soviet Union I heard similar anecdotes about Lenin. Speaking of historical precedents, isn't there also a section in Ch'angdòkgung (the yòn'gyòngdang residence, I believe) where the Korean king occasionally took upon himself the alleged hardship of leading a "simple" life?<BR>Another, different story I heard was rather technical: that the original golden statue reflected the light too strongly. In 1991, the statue was for sure bronze. But there are list members who visited the country earlier, so perhaps they can help.<BR>Cheers,<BR>Rudiger</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
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<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt" class=yiv592175430MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><BR><BR>on Donnerstag, 20. Dezember 2012 at 00:27 you wrote:</SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV></DIV>
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<P class=yiv592175430MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Hello all,<BR><BR>I have often heard it said that the mammoth Kim Il Sung statue that long graced the Mansudae Grand Monument (before recently being updated and placed side by side with a similarly large statue of Kim Jong Il) was originally covered in gold leaf. But, as the story usually goes, an expression of distaste by a visiting PRC official (sometimes Deng Xiaoping, sometimes someone else) and a threat to reduce Chinese aid to the DPRK resulted in the gold leaf being removed. <BR><BR>My question is whether anyone has seen or has access to a photograph of the original gold-plated version of the statue? My cursory fumbling around the web has not resulted in any such image. I am beginning to wonder whether the story is actually true (and whether perhaps some early visitors mistook the new, shiny bronze for gold?). <BR><BR>Any experts able and
willing to weigh in on this? <BR><BR>Cheers,<BR><BR>-- <BR>Kirk W. Larsen <BR>Department of History<BR>Assistant Director, Academic Programs and Research<BR>David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies<BR>2151 JFSB<BR>BYU<BR>Provo, UT 84602-6707<BR>(801) 422-3445</SPAN></FONT></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt" class=yiv592175430MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><BR><BR clear=all><BR>-- <BR>Kirk W. Larsen <BR>Department of History<BR>Assistant Director, Academic Programs and Research<BR>David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies<BR>2151 JFSB<BR>BYU<BR>Provo, UT 84602-6707<BR>(801) 422-3445<BR><BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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