A MAN named Kim Song-ju was born in 1912 in the northern regions of Korea, which at the time were under Japanese rule. During his youth, he watched as Japanese authorities destroyed and exploited Korea, and he joined the communists in the fight against the occupiers. The Soviets installed him as the leader of the new North Korea, and Kim held that position until his death in 1994. He is known for probably the most prominent cult of personality in the communist world, which he built over nearly fifty years in power.
He was born into a family with a strong anti-Japanese stance, and his brother died fighting the Japanese when he was still a child. His mother shaped his earliest views, which led him to join the communists to fight the Japanese shortly before and during World War II. During that time, he changed his name to Kim Il-sung, which means “eternal sun” or “solemn sun.”
After the war ended, a Soviet commissar for internal affairs and head of police, Lavrentiy Beria, arrived in Korea. He was tasked with finding a capable man to install as leader in Korea. This man had to be a communist and loyal to the Russians. The choice fell on Kim, who had already met with Beria on several occasions.
The Korean War
The 1950s began with a bloody war between Soviet-backed and American-backed Korea. Although we see the war as part of the Cold War and the conflict between the USSR and the USA, the Korean War was initiated by Kim, not the Soviets. His desire to unite all of Korea and install himself as supreme leader failed. American forces almost completely conquered his state, but China responded by sending its army to push the American imperialists away from its borders.
Kim considered the Korean War his victory, even though he remained in power only because of external support from the USSR and later the Chinese army. He continued consolidating power after 1953. He launched a five-year plan for modernization and industrialization following the Soviet model and borrowed money from the USSR to get the country back on its feet.
The Cult of Personality and the New Korea
His initial reforms were somewhat effective, and during the 1960s, North Korea and its citizens enjoyed a higher standard of living than their southern neighbors. In foreign policy, he condemned Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization and sympathized with Chinese leader Mao Zedong, although he didn’t implement the same reforms.
He turned North Korea into a true authoritarian state and positioned himself as the sole political figure in the country. From the 1970s, he created the position of president, which he held until his death. He chose his son as his successor, thus establishing the Kim dynasty in Korea.
It is also known that his police frequently abducted and imprisoned foreigners in the country, primarily Japanese and South Koreans, on charges of espionage or other absurd accusations. The situation worsened after the 1980s.
After he could no longer borrow money from the USSR and China, North Korea quickly fell into severe economic problems from which it has not recovered to this day. South Korea surpassed it in every way, but this did not prompt thorough reforms in Kim’s country. His successors further isolated the country and led it into an even deeper crisis.
Throughout his life, he focused more on the cult of personality than anything else. He personally oversaw changes to the education system, after which children were taught from a young age about the life and work of their president. Every media outlet in the country was under strict state control, and public events and performances were organized in honor of Kim alone.
Speaking out publicly against the president meant imprisonment or execution, and the family of the unfortunate individual would also be immediately socially isolated, with family members losing their jobs because of their relative’s actions.
He died on this day in 1994 and was succeeded by the second president of North Korea, his son Kim Jong-il. The current leader is Kim Jong-un.
About the Author
