Who is Kim Jong-Il, and what makes him an absolutist ruler?
Kim Jong-Il was the "Eternal President" of the North Korean republic from 1994 until his death in 2011.
Based on North Korean records, he was born on the highest mountain on the Korean Peninsula, Mt. Paektu, with various signs that can be regarded as supernatural, such as the appearance of a double rainbow exactly at the time of his birth. Western studies have shown, however, that in reality he was born near Khabarovsk, Russia (shown on map below), as Soviet authorities had given his family refuge there during the Japanese occupation .
Based on North Korean records, he was born on the highest mountain on the Korean Peninsula, Mt. Paektu, with various signs that can be regarded as supernatural, such as the appearance of a double rainbow exactly at the time of his birth. Western studies have shown, however, that in reality he was born near Khabarovsk, Russia (shown on map below), as Soviet authorities had given his family refuge there during the Japanese occupation .
He was educated in Pyongyang, the capitol of North Korea, and joined the Korean Workers Party (KWP), which got his political career rolling. He rose in standing to be called "Dear leader", below only his father,"Great leader". By the 1980's it was acknowledged that Kim Jong-Il would be his father's successor.
After his father's death in 1994, there was a 3-year mourning period while the Kim Jong-Il asserted himself as the ruler, changing his title to"Eternal President of the Republic." He did, however, inherit a famine and poverty stricken nation, mainly because the dissolving of the USSR eliminated foreign aid. This forced him to break away from the typical North Korean isolation, and communicate with other nations, notably with former South Korean leaders, and even U.S. representatives, leading to an era of reduced tension concerning the nation. Unfortunately, when former U.S. president George W. Bush compared North Korea to Iran and Iraq, calling them an "axis of evil", Kim Jong-Il (rather understandably, regardless of any truth in the comparison) took offense, and decided to expand the North Korean nuclear weapons program, bringing tensions back up on not only a regional, but also a global scale.
What makes Kim Jong-Il an absolutist? He portrays himself as a god to his people (for example, through the 'documentation' of his birth), putting himself above anyone else in terms of authority. His willingness to put funding into military research shows the same characteristics as European absolutism centuries ago (e.g. Spanish armada).
What makes Kim Jong-Il an absolutist? He portrays himself as a god to his people (for example, through the 'documentation' of his birth), putting himself above anyone else in terms of authority. His willingness to put funding into military research shows the same characteristics as European absolutism centuries ago (e.g. Spanish armada).
Click pictures to enlarge. Works cited available for download below.
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