North Korea’s dictators - The power of the Kim dynasty | DW Documentary

It's a big day for Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Not long ago she began accompanying her father to military parades and rocket launches although she is believed to be only 11 or 12 years old. Will she one day assume command of the North Korean

dictators

hip? And preserve the iron grip on

power

that the Kim

dynasty

has exercised for more than seven decades? In August 2022, just three months after announcing its first case of Covid-19, North Korea declared that the pandemic was over. Comrade Kim Yo-jong, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Dear comrades! Let's review the fervent days of our battle against the pandemic. In the last 91 days I witnessed many dramatic situations. This was the first speech given by Kim Jong-Un's younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, on North Korean television. When she spoke about her brother's recovery from Covid, many in the audience cried. They were terrible times when I could not help our great leader. He had to face the crisis alone, sometimes anguished and desperate. Kim Yo-jong is deputy director of the Ministry of Propaganda. After her brother, she is considered the second leader of the country. Since 1948, three generations of the Kim family have ruled the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea with absolute

power

.

North Korea does not have a monarchy, so it does not have a royal family. Instead, they trace their lineage to what they call the Mount Paektu lineage. Mount Paektu is a pilgrimage site for party members and North Koreans. It is revered as the place where Kim Il-sung led the resistance against the Japanese occupation and is also considered the birthplace of Kim Jong-il. The power of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il is considered sacred, as is this mountain. It is similar to what Bethlehem means to Christians. This founding myth helps ensure the Kim family's hold on power, which is not as secure as it would be under a monarchy.

The dynastic

dictators

hip had to create its own cult of personality and authority. The propaganda message was repeated in Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and English, a move intended to suggest to North Koreans that their leaders were also revered abroad. Returning to the revolutionary sacred mountain, Kim Il Sung said with deep emotion: Every time I climb Mount Paektu I think of Comrade Kim Jong-il. Mount Paektu is his birthplace and his cradle where he nurtured his courage. Mount Paektu is Kim Jong Il's mountain and at the same time Kim Il Sung's mountain. The entire Kim family is united in command of North Korea.

Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il are omnipresent and unforgettable. Giant models of them were even installed in the state Supreme People's Assembly. Every decision made by Kim Jong-un and his sister Kim Yo-jong is an extension of the

dynasty

that has ruled the country for more than half a century. The Kim dynasty began with Kim Il-sung, who in 1948 became the leader and founding father of North Korea. In the 1960s a cult of personality emerged that gave the dictator almost godlike status. To this day, Kim Il-sung is still considered the supreme and eternal leader of North Korea.

In 1994, his son Kim Jong-il assumed power. According to legend, he was born on Mount Paektu and possessed powerful intellect and achievements. Comrade Kim Jong Il is an outstanding philosopher, statesman and leader with multiple talents and capabilities. He is not only the greatest ideological and theoretical genius of current times, but also the greatest man that the history of humanity has ever produced, the most versed man in all fields. Kim Jong-il died in 2011. His youngest son, Kim Jong-un, 27, became his successor. At the time, he was a complete unknown in North Korea and abroad. But Kim Jong-il had already paved the way by making strategic appointments to key positions before his death.

He was very young and in a society where seniority was extremely important, that was a problem for him at first. He took it upon himself to counteract this by dressing very conservatively. He tried to imitate his grandfather's appearance. When he was young, that gave him a certain authority. Nobody knew him and suddenly he appeared. He looked a lot like Kim Il-sung. People asked: who is that? Is that a Kim? In every public appearance, Kim Jong-un acted like his grandfather and also talked like him. In a show of power, Kim Jong-un fired several officials and ordered the arrest of his influential uncle, Jang Song-thaek.

In December 2013, his uncle was executed for alleged corruption. Even the North Korean press, whose national coverage was always slanted toward the positive, reported on Jang's execution. When Kim Jong-un succeeded his father, when he was young we had information that he had gone to school in Switzerland. We think that perhaps he is a more cosmopolitan figure who understands the international community. He maybe he wanted relationships with the world. We were wrong. It turns out that Kim Jong-un is the most aggressive of the three Kims. Kim-Jong-un installed his closest confidants at the center of power, especially his sister Kim Yo-jong.

The two had gone to school together in Switzerland and forged a relationship of unconditional trust. Everything indicates that if something were to happen to Kim-Jong-un, his sister would be his successor, ensuring that the Kim family would maintain its power. In North Korea there are two levels of legislation. First of all, we have a constitution. It states that North Korea is a republic, with general and secret elections. But the second level is the party statute. They claim that party leadership is hereditary and that each generation comes from the Kim family. Therefore, the party is based on the ideology of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, and is supposed to work on behalf of their interests, and not the interests of the North Korean people.

So the party statute clearly trumps the constitution. Anyone who joins the party in North Korea must vow to sacrifice everything to ensure that the regime is preserved from one generation to the next. This is how the North Korean system works. Therefore, from birth, all North Koreans are part of a regime that owes its loyalty to the Kim dynasty according to law. Day after day, North Korean state television broadcasts propaganda images of a happy and prosperous people. But the reality is more complex. According to United Nations reports, all North Koreans are required to monitor their neighbors and report any misconduct.

This mutual surveillance network aims to maintain control over the population and preserve an image of national pride and satisfaction. They create units of five families, which control each other. Above that is the inminban, a unit of 60 families. Each inminban has a unit head, who must always know what is happening in each home. This surveillance system was created 75 years ago and has evolved to become a true system of terror. There is no civil society, there is nothing about which, for example, in universities or in religion or in all the areas where we often see revolutions unfold. The North Korean government has shut all that down.

Freedom of thought is not allowed in North Korea. Colleagues, neighbors and even family members can turn against each other. According to radio reports, a young man was sentenced to death for illegally bringing the South Korean television series Squid Game into the country. He had been denounced by his own parents. Most people do not have access to the Internet and cannot make international phone calls. In North Korea, not only the convicted person is punished, but the entire family. So, if a son is shot for a crime against the country, his parents, siblings and even fellow students can be punished and discriminated against.

So anyone who is willing to sacrifice their own life for freedom and democracy really thinks twice before doing anything. They know they are also putting their entire family at risk. That's why North Koreans don't rebel, that's how the system maintains the status quo. If you are someone who desperately wants to liberate your people in North Korea, maybe if it were just you, you would say: I'm willing to die for that, to liberate my country. But are you willing to kill your grandparents, your children, your aunts and uncles? So that is this terrible, terrible form of control that the regime has over its people.

As soon as someone is seen as a threat, he is executed. Without investigation, trial or judge. That is why Kim Jong-un was able to order the execution of his uncle Jang Song-thaek and his half-brother. His half-brother Kim Jong-nam was murdered in 2017 at the Malaysia airport, before the eyes of the whole world, in front of a surveillance camera. Other opponents end up in labor and re-education camps. International organizations estimate that there are about 20 such camps in the country. According to the handful of survivors who managed to escape, conditions in the camps are terrible. Most prisoners die from torture, starvation, or as a result of forced labor.

It is estimated that there are currently between 100,000 and 200,000 opponents of the regime imprisoned. Famines have also killed millions of North Koreans, primarily during the 1980s and 1990s. Statistics like these have made North Korea one of the most brutal dictatorships in the world. When I arrived in South Korea, I heard something I didn't understand, it was called the National Human Rights Committee. So I asked what it was. They were surprised and asked me: Don't you know? It is an organization that protects our rights as human beings. I asked him: Why do we need an organization like that?

They responded: It's normal. Isn't there something like that in North Korea? They didn't understand the word complaint. And for every woman we asked, there were about 60 women, they didn't understand the word complaint. And then we had to really explain to them in different words what it means. And they said: Yes, you can't complain. The Women's Union will complain against you for not submitting sufficient dues. So, for them, the complaint is only one way. The government can somehow punish or criticize for not fulfilling certain duties it had, such as bringing in enough quotas. But they have no complaints.

So they don't understand that in a normal country citizens have the right to complain. About three million people live in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. The city lies on the banks of the Taedong River, which is used as a source of hydroelectric power and for irrigation. The city center is a testament to the power of the Kim dynasty. The Ministry of Defense remembers the great victories of North Korea. The center of power is the Kumsusn Palace of the Sun. Official military parades are held in its courtyard. On the other side of the river is the Juche Tower.

Juche is the official ideology of the North Korean regime and means autarky or self-sufficiency. It unofficially represents the cult of personality surrounding the Kim dynasty, which is also called “Kimism.” In recent years, Pyongyang has been transforming. Public transportation is expanding, including subways, buses and trams. A swimming pool was inaugurated not long ago. Since he took office, Kim Jong-un has focused primarily on the selection and concentration of nuclear weapons. He also invested a considerable part of the military budget in the private sector and expanded the light manufacturing sector. Life in the capital has also changed. The city now looks more western.

But the regime's strict rules continue to prevail. Nowadays, more and more North Koreans own a smartphone, but they cannot use it for international calls. And only a few applications are allowed, which must be personally approved by Kim Jong-un himself. Nowadays there are also more people who own a car. Some days traffic is unusually heavy for Pyongyang. Small touches of individuality are finding their way into clothing and fashion. New buildings are emerging. All the changes were intended to signal normality and modernity to the outside world. Based on my own observations, I can say that over the past 30 years life in North Korea has improved significantly, even for ordinary people.

Of course, the starting point was very low, but things have definitely improved. People today have more options when it comes to consumption. That includes things like clothing, food, transportation. The country has modernized, although it is important to note that Pyongyang is not typical of North Korea as a whole. Pyongyang is a level above the rest of the country in that regard. I have traveled through North Korea and seen that things have improved everywhere. But Pyongyang stands out because that is where the elite live. And, of course, the leadership needs the support of elites to maintain political stability.

There has been a survey on North Koreans who fled the country. It shows that they clearly prefer Kim Jong-un to his father. They feel a greater connection with him and can see that his standard of living improved. Kim Jong-Il only cared about the army. Kim Jong-un has liberalized and promoted the market. That's why they put more hope in him. On national television, the regime's propaganda machine offers a constant stream of evidence of progress in the country. On all television channels, news reports describe the opening of factories and buildings. And the city's new buses are getting good attention, too.

Kim Jong-un even dida personal appearance to inspect them on camera. The noble determination of the party and its love for the people have resulted in a brilliant reality. North Korean media has definitely become more modern. Quick cuts make TV shows look much livelier than before. Instead of just one television channel, there are now four. Viewers can now choose between different programs, which helps give greater credibility to the programming. Even the country's most famous anchor has been swept away by the winds of change. Comrade Kim Jong-un posed for a commemorative photograph with Korean television workers. Since the 1970s, Ri Chun-hee has anchored the country's biggest news stories.

We will fight the enemy. He reported on everything from nuclear and missile tests to the meeting between Kim Jong-un and TV station employees. Ri Chun-hee was said to be his favorite news anchor. A few days later, Kim Jong-un presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for a new residential district. The dictator himself gave Ri Chun-hee the key to his new and luxurious residence. It was a reward for his loyalty to the regime. But as part of a wave of modernization, Ri Chun-hee was scheduled to be replaced by a younger colleague. Kim Jong-un himself told me that there was nothing more valuable than such a loyal worker, who has been working in the media for 50 years.

The press in North Korea has a special purpose. Media professionals proudly call themselves the trumpeters of the revolution. Their job is to support the revolution, polish the image of the great leader and mobilize the population. Along with news programs, North Korean television often broadcasts major propaganda events, sometimes military parades, and more often civil events. Meanwhile, there is a huge budget for projects that are important to the country. That is one of Kim Jong-un's new initiatives. National ceremonies now have a much higher priority than before. They are supposed to make the population proud of the party and the regime.

The message they are trying to convey is that Kim Jong-un's North Korea is getting stronger. It is a powerful and well-controlled country that continues to develop. Over time, dynasties lose their legitimacy. Memories of the past begin to fade. Grandpa fought a war of liberation against the Japanese, which was the basis of his legitimacy. But 70 or 80 years after the war that legitimacy is fading. Kim Jong-un is under a lot of pressure to find a new base for his power. Despite the strict regime, North Korea's Iron Curtain has had some leaks. Videos from South Korea are increasingly being smuggled into the country.

Officially, North Korea cannot receive any television content from South Korea. But pirated copies of South Korean K-pop television series and videos are circulating widely. South Korean activists periodically send helium balloons across the border. In addition to brochures, balloons sometimes carry USB sticks with Western entertainment. Of course, most North Koreans know that South Korea is richer. Most of them have seen a southern TV series, but what can they do? Any resistance is punishable by death, so they prefer to remain silent. To maintain its own image, North Korea has isolated itself from foreign influence. The population is almost completely isolated from the outside world.

They are not allowed to travel or use the Internet. Immediately after the introduction of mobile phones, it became possible to use a foreign network instead of a North Korean one. On that network, people could download South Korean videos or American movies to their mobile phones. But overnight the authorities realized what was happening and created their own closed intranet system. Kim Jong-Il knew computers well and knew that it was the technology of the future. He understood that computer and communications technology could mean the collapse of his regime. So he isolated the country from the international community and banned the Internet in North Korea, and that is still true today.

As for the comparison with South Korea, I have the advantage of coming from the former East Germany. Until 1990 I lived in East Germany. We had Western television and radio on a daily basis, so we had a reference point to make comparisons. We receive visitors from the West and we receive telephone calls. The information the North Koreans have about South Korea is nothing like that. They may have seen a soap opera or heard a rumor, but they don't have that daily input. No, I think that even with better access to information, most North Koreans still have almost no idea what is really happening in South Korea.

In the fall of 2020, the Kim regime passed the Law on Denouncing Reactionary Thought and Culture. Violations of the law are punishable by public execution or confinement in a labor camp. For the regime, the intensification of repression was a success, as the number of people trying to flee the country decreased. When you read the North Korean newspapers, there is hardly any news about what is happening on the other side of the border. Page 6 of the Rodong Sinmun newspaper used to feature news from South Korea. That ended in 2020. North Koreans consider their southern neighbors to be Koreans richer than them.

And that's why North Korean authorities maintain tight control over information about South Korea: to preserve North Korean identity. For North Korea's 26 million residents, all aspects of life are strictly regulated. Even children are indoctrinated. From the beginning, they learn the stories about the great leaders and power of the Kim dynasty. In preschool, children learn that the Kim family rules the country. Every morning, schoolchildren greet the portraits of Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung. This type of brainwashing is omnipresent, from early childhood to death. All children between six and fifteen years old are members of the Korean Children's Union, a political organization linked to the Workers' Party.

On major holidays, third graders across the country participate in initiation ceremonies. Both boys and girls wear the red scarf of the Young Pioneers. They are received by none other than Kim Jong-un himself. For North Koreans, this is the most important day of their childhood. At age 17, most North Korean boys voluntarily enlist in the army as a demonstration of their loyalty to the state. North Korean men typically serve for eight years, the longest mandatory military service in the world. When they join the military, young soldiers are often completely indoctrinated. They are fed a steady diet of propaganda videos to hone their will to fight.

North Korea is an economically weak country with a small population. South Korea and the United States have long underestimated the country and still claim that all North Korea has are nuclear weapons. But North Koreans are educated to be very tough. They are incredibly determined and have a strong survival instinct. Furthermore, they grew up in a dynastic system, completely isolated from the outside world. His mentality is very simple and direct. They are very loyal to their country. For them, everything they do is a matter of life and death. The people of North Korea support the regime. North Korea's nuclear program takes up most of the country's resources, but in the regime's propaganda it is a necessary sacrifice.

In 1993 I joined the North Korean army. That's when I learned the phrase nuclear weapons. They told us that the American invaders wanted to conquer our beautiful country and attack us with strange biological weapons. To protect ourselves, we needed nuclear weapons. Nuclear tests and missile launches are celebrated in the media and form part of the country's national identity. If we stop reporting on missile launches and increased military exercises, the ideology would collapse. It is a constant form of brainwashing, to ensure that people remain submissive. Ensuring that no one in the country dares to question the power of the regime is a political strategy and a life insurance policy against the rest of the world.

Armed with the obligatory loyalty of its own people, the Kim dynasty is determined to keep the rest of the world at arm's length.