[KS] Divinity of the Kims?

[Syd S]

I would agree with many of these observations.  In short:

 

1. Juche is a worldview that could be categorized as a philosophy, ruling ideology, and belief system only to the degree that the metaphysical is denied in its purest form (thus atheistic by nature), or at least marginalized as being irrelevant (in its milder, more agnostic nature).  I will save myself a quick check of the wikipedia entry on religion, but it seems to me that a major criterion for being a "religion" needs to be some metaphysical dimension.

 

2.  The Kims are credited with near-omniscient and omnipotent capabilities (although post-stroke propaganda has hinted at fallibilities and frailities), but stops short of calling either Kim a "god," strictly speaking.

 

3.  I would be less forward-leaning in ascribing an intent of granting divinity to KIS in the formulation "KIS is with us for eternity."  Here, the recipients of the message must be considered.  First, one can "worship" people or objects of affection without an implied divinity in the object of worship, and this is how I tend to the view the North Korean's "reverence" toward KIS.  Second, the DPRK people were certainly aware that KIS was a mortal man.  He may be "larger than life" in the thoughts and lives of the North Korean people, but again there is no metaphysical dimension here that suggests the Spirit/Ghost of Kim is alive today giving on-the-spot guidance visits, though the spirit (small s) of Kim will always be cited and remembered.

 

Just a few simple thoughts . . .  Syd Seiler
 


Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:39:10 +1100
From: sheejun at gmail.com
To: kwlarsen67 at gmail.com; koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws
Subject: Re: [KS] Divinity of the Kims?


 
Thanks for initiating this interesting topic, Kirk.
 
In regard to Myers' claim of which I agree with, and like your findings about supernatural claims, I'd say that instead of divine powers directly being/not being attributed to the Kims, that more likely the strategy of the DPRK propaganda apparatus is to (more indirectly) associate divine concepts with the Kims, and so very intimately at that.
Myths relating to weather phenomena upon the birth of Kim Jong-il at Baek-du, the gloominess of the day when Kim il sung died (see Myers' mid-book photo section where KJI 'comforts a distraught nation,..etc.') and other semi-divine contexts of crashing waves or falling snow, (although may be outright untruths) are symbolically closely and carefully constructed together to form the impression of the divine, but still not the divine. As Myers says, alot of visuals that seem apolitical in nature to others are in fact "read" differently by North Koreans (pg 87).
 
But the most blatent claim of divinity or god-ness attributed to KIS that comes to mind is the event of his death. The Rodong newspaper's headlines for about two weeks continuing (as is still referred to now ofcourse) were/is "KIS will live forever/eternal/immortal ("영생할 것이다") in huge bold...but then they will go on by saying something like "In our hearts" (우리 마음 속에) so you can see their tricky manipulation/construction of the divine intertwined with the non-divine. They most probably will do a similar (if not the same) thing when KJI dies.
 
Nonetheless, there are definitely studies comparing Juche to a religion or at least quasi-religion, so you may be able to quench your thirst in seeking them.
 
All the best!
Mary.

 

 
On Sat, Feb 13, 2010 at 11:55 AM, Kirk Larsen <kwlarsen67 at gmail.com> wrote:

Hello all,

Having recently read and thoroughly enjoyed B.R. Myers book, The Cleanest Race, I am writing to enlist your collective wisdom concerning one of Myers' interesting and provocative claims: he argues that the DPRK regime does not attribute divine powers or characteristics to its leaders, either Kim Il Sung or Kim Jong Il. Specifically:

“No matter what some American Christian Groups might claim, divine powers have never been attributed to either of the two Kims” (Myers, Cleanest Race, 13). 

This claim got me to thinking and poking around, the results of which I've put up on my blog (http://kwlhistorymatters.blogspot.com/2010/02/not-so-divine-kims.html) but while I have been able to find a few examples of claims of, if not quite divinity, certainly claims of the remarkable and supernatural, more generally, I find myself agreeing with Myers that the fantastical claims are not the norm in DPRK propaganda.

My query to the experienced, erudite, and talented group that subscribe to this list is: does anyone know of specific, credible evidence to the contrary? In other words, any unequivocal examples of the DPRK regime claiming divinity for its founder and present ruler? 

Cheers, 
-- 
Kirk W. Larsen 
Department of History
2151 JFSB
BYU
Provo, UT 84602-6707
(801) 422-3445


 		 	   		  
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