Barbara Demick interviewed defectors from Chongjin, North Korea in her book “Noth ing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea.” She wanted to get an idea of what real life is like in North Korea. She chose an array of defectors from different factions. She told their stories in a novel format instead of having to read their individual interviews. She chose six main people and really dug into their every day life, their thoughts and feelings on what was going on around them.…
Have you ever wondered what's similar between Asoka, Osama Bin Laden, Ho Chi Minh, Kim Jong-II and Adolf Hitler? Asoka became ruler of the Mauryan empire in 268 BC and died 36 years after in 232 BC. Asoka has been know to have brought the empire to great heights and a good ruler but their is more evidences to show that he is like the other dictators in this world. This man was a cruel leader.…
The documentary “North Korea’s Deadly Dictator” directed by Jane McMullen had the purpose of informing the audience about Kim Jong-un’s capabilities and intentions as North Korea’s leader. McMullen focused the documentary on the assassination of the leader’s half-brother, Kim Jon-nam, with many plentiful evidence supporting the belief of many that the assassination was carried out by the dictator himself. The director incorporated a series of interviews from legible sources that hold credibility such as the North Korean Intelligence, reporters who have directly communicated with Kim Jong-nam, CIA Senior Korea Analyst, and the suspects’ lead defense attorney, to validate the possibility that Kim Jong-un is behind the assassination. Because of…
Citizens must follow numerous strict laws and remain isolated from the work; unlike their leaders who has access to the Internet. As a result, citizens must obey to their leader in order to be safe and remain alive. Despite of the country’s cruelty, numerous North Koreans still admire, respect and even worship Kim Jong-un. However, whether or not some North Koreans truly honor their leader still remains as a…
When Kim Il Sung came to power he brought his own cult of personality with him that North Koreans still follow by till this day. The cult of personality surrounding the Kim family requires total loyalty and…
Is there any way to truly know who’s making decisions in North Korea and what their ultimate motives might be? Eric Talmadge admits in his opening statements in his article for the Associated Press, that knowing the true goals of the North Korean regime is difficult at best, but then writes an analysis to explain his opinion to the minds of the Western world. It is Talmadge’s view that North Korea will never willingly abandon its goal of nuclear weapons regardless of any repercussions from its allies or the UN, because the ruling cadre sees it as the only path to survival and world recognition. While acknowledging the impossibility of truly knowing the inside thoughts and workings of the North Korean rulers, the author proceeds to explain expert interpretations based on a referenced and unnamed power behind the regime such as ruling families, and powerful military and weapons administrations.…
They were constantly trying to change the way he acted, and thought. Kim’s father even had a conversation with him on how to act. When they saw that he had some talent, such as his cutting skills, they used that to their advantage, and got free haircuts, bush trimmings, and ice sculptures. They love him when they use him to their advantage, and despise him when he makes a mistake. They didn’t tolerate his awkwardness, and innocence.…
The strongest evidence that Kim is not some Imperialist pamphlet lies in the protagonist's conflicted loyalties. For much of the story, Kim chafes to enter the Great Game and delights in the idea of killing. By the end of the novel, however, he has tired of the violence and deceit, and thinks only of serving his lama. Kim spends a great deal of time monitoring other people and trying to detect what their game is.…
Korean “Lincoln” who did “government of the people, by the people, for the people”, King Sejong. Sejong the Great (May 6, 1397 – May 18, 1450) was the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. The reason why I respect King Sejong is, first of all, he invented a Hangul, a.k.a.…
Zhu Yuanzhang: Zhu Yuanzhang (1328-1398) was a peasant who became the leader of a nonconformity against the Yuan rulers (1279-1368) called the Red Turbans. Then became the first emperor of the Ming Empire. During his youth, he was extremely poor. Several of his brothers were sent or sold away, and then his family was killed by a flood. He was poverty stricken.…
Saddam Hussein, the fifth president of Iraq was born on April 28, 1937 and died on December 30, 2006 at the age of 69. Saddam’s early life was filled with disappointment. His father, a shepherd, disappeared before his birth. He also lost a brother to cancer and had a mother who suffered from depression. He was sent to live with an uncle before returning home to his mother and her new husband who was abusive to Saddam.…
Richard E. Kim was born in Hamheung, North Korea in 1932. Kim grew up in a very religious family, his grandfather was a Christian minister. Before the Korean War began Kim and his family fled, moving south until they ended up in Seoul. The communist troops were taking over Seoul, they arrested and killed Kim’s grandfather. Kim escaped Seoul and fled to Inchon.…
North Korea, a communist nation ruled by a dictatorship, utilizes its power to make the citizens worship their supreme leader. Similar to Macbeth, North Korea brainwashes its people. One witness spoke of the actions done in North Korea, “…
The Aquariums of Pyongyang written by Kang Rigoulot and Kang Chol-Hwan is the account of Kang’s early life spent inside of a North Korean prison camp with his family for ten years; Kang also describes the developments that take place after his release such as departure from North Korea, his voyage into China, and finding the means to finally arrive at South Korea. Kang will depart from both North Korea’s authoritarian state and the ideology he was forced to embrace from as early on in life as a child. Life for Kang in the prison camps started when he was a child because his grandfather was accused of speaking too harshly of the North Korean regime. Kang often notes that whether you are in the prison camps or free of them that speaking negatively of the North Korean communist government or Kim Il-sung has very negative repercussions. From the time that he…
When his servant said to him, “The king`s sons all could be king”: In the Joseon there was a rule the king should be the first son. He did not answered then, but after he said to his father as if he did not want. It makes the king Tae-jong change his stereotype. And he made image making to other nobles, the senior kings, servants and so on.…