[KS] Jong-il Personality Cult

[Richard Miller]

Victor Fic asks:

>With the North Koreans celebrating their 55th anniversary, I am researching
issues
>connected with the regime. For now, I would like to focus on the Jong-il
personality cult.
>
>
>1. Can anyone provide me with anecdotes that they have read about or heard
about
>over the years attesting to Jong-il's intellectual, moral and physical
prowess -- as his
>flunkies have it? Is there a web site or article that lists them?

Have you looked at the book Kim Jong Il: The People's Leader, by Choe In Su?
I have an incomplete copy of volume 2, and the book seems to be little more
than one long anecdote about Jong-il's amazing abilities. The summation of a
section entitled "A Genius of Thought and Theory" seems to encapsulate the
book:

"From olden times it was said in the East that even a noted builder who
creates a royal palace cannot make a small stationery shelf, and they say in
the West that even Newton would not have become a Shakespeare....But Kim
Jong Il is a brilliant master of thought and theories who made that belief
appear pale" (p.153).

Over the course of the book, Jong-Il singlehandedly beats the experts at
whatever subject comes up, be it renovating opera, designing a dam, or
climbing Paekdusan. And that's just volume 2.

Richard

Richard Miller
UW-Madison School of Music
http://www.sit.wisc.edu/~rcmiller/

-----Original Message-----
From: Koreanstudies-bounces at koreaweb.ws
[mailto:Koreanstudies-bounces at koreaweb.ws]On Behalf Of victor fic
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 2:46 AM
To: Koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws
Subject: [KS] Jong-il Personality Cult


Hello list members:



2. Fredonia Press in the U.S. offers a book called "The Great Teacher of
Journalists," by or about Jong-il. Apparently, it documents the brilliant
assistance he gives to journalists. My order has yet to arrive. Has anyone
read the book? Does anyone know Fredonia's background?

Thank you to anyone who can assist me.

Regards,
Victor Fic
Seoul


Richard Miller
UW-Madison School of Music
http://www.sit.wisc.edu/~rcmiller/