Kim Jong-un: A Twenty-First Century Machiavelli
Niccolò Machiavelli believed that in order to be an effective ruler one needed to use whatever methods were necessary to achieve success. In the book he published in the 1500s entitled, The Prince, Machiavelli advised rulers on how to act in order to gain power, keeping in mind that “the end justifies the means”. One current leader who appears to have modeled his leadership principles on Machiavellian teachings is Kim Jong-un, the “Supreme Leader” of North Korea. During the four years that he has been in power, he has demonstrated a number of ruthless political decisions focused on retaining control. Kim Jong-un may be considered “the perfect prince” because his subjects fear him, he is not …show more content…
In 2013, after just two years in power, it was reported that he had “replaced 44 percent of North Korea’s 218 top military, party, and government officials” (Sang-Hun 1), and he has continued to remove and reshuffle government officials as he feels necessary. By unexpectedly removing people from their jobs, Kim Jong-un is instilling fear in his leadership team. If they do their jobs well, they may be perceived as acting too arrogantly or attempting to usurp his authority. If they do their jobs poorly, they will be punished. Either way, they are continually in fear of being removed …show more content…
Civilians also fear Kim Jong-un because of the strict punishments delivered to those accused of committing a crime. Trials involve the public humiliation of the criminal and sentencing usually means being sent to a “correctional labour camp” (Ritchie and Freeman 1-2). Or, the criminals may “become victims of enforced disappearance” (“UN Says North Korea” 1). Public humiliation or sudden disappearance are very effective ways to ensure that other civilians are dissuaded from committing any similar types of crimes. Kim Jong-un makes certain that everyone in North Korea knows that he and his laws are not to be challenged. He therefore ensures that he achieves the Machiavellian goal of being feared rather than loved. Machiavelli warned leaders that while they should strive to be feared, they did not want to be hated. In order to avoid hatred, if a leader should find it necessary to kill someone, he must be sure to have justification for the killing. There have been several executions carried out in North Korea that were ordered by Kim Jong-un. In 2013, he had his uncle removed from his post and executed. This uncle was considered to be his mentor and the man who had assisted him in making the
Niccolò Machiavelli believed that in order to be an effective ruler one needed to use whatever methods were necessary to achieve success. In the book he published in the 1500s entitled, The Prince, Machiavelli advised rulers on how to act in order to gain power, keeping in mind that “the end justifies the means”. One current leader who appears to have modeled his leadership principles on Machiavellian teachings is Kim Jong-un, the “Supreme Leader” of North Korea. During the four years that he has been in power, he has demonstrated a number of ruthless political decisions focused on retaining control. Kim Jong-un may be considered “the perfect prince” because his subjects fear him, he is not …show more content…
In 2013, after just two years in power, it was reported that he had “replaced 44 percent of North Korea’s 218 top military, party, and government officials” (Sang-Hun 1), and he has continued to remove and reshuffle government officials as he feels necessary. By unexpectedly removing people from their jobs, Kim Jong-un is instilling fear in his leadership team. If they do their jobs well, they may be perceived as acting too arrogantly or attempting to usurp his authority. If they do their jobs poorly, they will be punished. Either way, they are continually in fear of being removed …show more content…
Civilians also fear Kim Jong-un because of the strict punishments delivered to those accused of committing a crime. Trials involve the public humiliation of the criminal and sentencing usually means being sent to a “correctional labour camp” (Ritchie and Freeman 1-2). Or, the criminals may “become victims of enforced disappearance” (“UN Says North Korea” 1). Public humiliation or sudden disappearance are very effective ways to ensure that other civilians are dissuaded from committing any similar types of crimes. Kim Jong-un makes certain that everyone in North Korea knows that he and his laws are not to be challenged. He therefore ensures that he achieves the Machiavellian goal of being feared rather than loved. Machiavelli warned leaders that while they should strive to be feared, they did not want to be hated. In order to avoid hatred, if a leader should find it necessary to kill someone, he must be sure to have justification for the killing. There have been several executions carried out in North Korea that were ordered by Kim Jong-un. In 2013, he had his uncle removed from his post and executed. This uncle was considered to be his mentor and the man who had assisted him in making the