Episode 21 – Who was Kim Il-sung and how did he shape North Korea?

Ask me about North Korea

Kim Il-sung is, perhaps, a name that you do not hear all that much these days, if you are not a North Korea watcher. What you might hear way more often is the name of his grandson, Kim Jong-un, who is the current head of the North Korean state. However, it was Kim Il-sung, who shaped North Korea as we know it today – as the most controlled society in the world. It was Kim Il-sung, who plunged the Korean Peninsula into the bloodbath of the Korean War and cemented the division of Korea. It was Kim Il-sung, who created a personality cult that remains unparalleled in humanity’s modern history. The founder of North Korea maintained his grip on power for almost half a century until he passed away in 1994. In today’s episode I try to take a broad look at how Kim Il-sung’s life as a political leader shaped North Korea as a country and society we know today.