The Times Australia
The Times World News

.
The Times Real Estate

.

Starvation, repression and brutal rule – just like his father and grandfather

  • Written by Sung-Yoon Lee, Professor in Korean Studies, Tufts University
Starvation, repression and brutal rule – just like his father and grandfather

By the grim metric of fatalities in the first 10 years of a dictator’s rule, Kim Jong Un has yet to match the records set by his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, or father, Kim Jong Il – the two tyrants who reigned by terror in North Korea before him.

For now, the number of people Kim Jong Un has personally ordered killed – such as his uncle in 2013[1] and half-brother in 2017[2] – is likely[3] to number in the hundreds[4].

But his decade in power, which began after his father’s death on Dec. 17, 2011[5], has proved a disaster for people living in the communist nation. The isolationist state has become even more so, as the northern border to China closed[6] during the coronavirus pandemic – cutting off an escape route for those desperate to flee. Meanwhile, food insecurity means that “an entire generation of children” are undernourished, as the United Nations has reported[7].

Concrete numbers of how many have died from starvation and malnourishment-related conditions such as diarrhea and pneumonia[8] under Kim are difficult to come by. But as a scholar of Korean history[9], I believe the young dictator – who turns 38 next January – has the capacity to surpass even the ghastly death tolls of his two familial predecessors.

Three generations of misery

Kim Jong Un’s first decade in power has seen a continuation of the deadly repression and failed policies that have kept North Koreans living in fear and under the threat of starvation for the last 70 years.

The Korean War that the current leader’s grandfather started in 1950, just two years after founding North Korea, claimed upwards of 4 million lives[10] – most were North Korean civilians killed by the United Nations coalition that came to defend South Korea.

An elderly woman and her grandchild wander among the debris of their wrecked home in the aftermath of an air raid by U.S. planes over Pyongyang, the Communist capital of North Korea. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
Civilians bore the brunt during the Korean War. Keystone/Getty Images[11]

Once his campaign to take South Korea by force was thwarted by the 1953 armistice[12], Kim Il Sung turned to purging pro-Soviet and pro-Chinese party officials who had dared to criticize him. The North Korean leader went on a killing spree in which thousands of party officials were killed or expelled[13] from the Workers’ Party of Korea.

His son, Kim Jong Il, inherited power in July 1994[14] and oversaw a devastating famine[15] in which upwards of 2 million[16] people starved to death.

But instead of buying food, Kim Jong Il sought aid, most of which he diverted to North Korea’s military[17]. At the height of the famine in 1997, the U.S. State Department estimated North Korea’s military budget as US$6 billion[18]. During those dark times, Kim spent over a billion dollars a year on his missile programs alone and over $600 million on luxury goods imports[19].

He also managed to eke out enough money to build an estimated $800 million mausoleum for his dead father – one in which he himself was entombed in December 2011 after succumbing to a suspected heart attack.

Had he spent just $200 million of his wealth each year[20] on grain and distributed it fairly, no one would have died. Instead, as the 2014 U.N. Commission of Inquiry Report on Human Rights in North Korea alleges, Kim Jong Il committed the “inhumane act of knowingly causing prolonged starvation[21].”

The same claim could be made against Kim Jong Un during his decade in power. Faminelike conditions have been observed in the mid-2010s and have resurfaced during the pandemic[22].

Even before Kim sealed the border with China in January 2020, North Korea recorded food shortages of around 1.36 million metric tons in 2018[23] and 2019[24]. His solution has been to rely on aid and, in October, telling his people to eat less until 2025[25]. Meanwhile, during his 10 years in power, Kim has diverted around a quarter of North Korea’s GDP toward the military[26].

And under Kim Jong Un it has only become harder for North Koreans to escape chronic hunger. During the famine in the 1990s, many North Korean people were able to escape to China in search of food, despite attempts by Kim Jong Il to block them.

In the first year of Kim Jong Un’s rule, the number of escapees who made their way to South Korea dropped in half from the previous year to approximately 1,500[27].

And in the past nearly two years of lockdown under Kim, border-crossing has become far more difficult. In 2021, the number is expected to be well below 100[28].

A deadly legacy

When Kim came to power in December 2011, I predicted[29] his rule would be marked neither by reform nor power-sharing but extreme internal repression and strategic threats against neighbors.

Sadly, these projections have been proved right. The past decade has seen a continuation of the atrocious human rights record of Kim’s predecessors and a great leap forward on the despotic dynasty’s missile programs. North Korea has fired off over 130 missiles over the last 10 years[30], punctuated by three intercontinental ballistic missile blasts in 2017. Of the four nuclear tests, the last in 2017, was a thermonuclear bomb[31].

[You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors. You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter[32].]

These lethal weapons are custom made for threatening the U.S. with a nuclear war while Kim dangles the possibility of peace[33], thus compelling Washington to withdraw[34] U.S. troops and strategic weapons from South Korea – as Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, called for in August.

Kim Jong Un’s apparent goal is to render Washington’s longtime non-nuclear ally, Seoul, vulnerable to his nuclear-armed state bent on completing its “supreme national task” of completing the “great Juche Revolution” – the absorption of the south and unifying the Korean peninsula on North Korean terms.

A nuclear war, even if limited, could cause civilian deaths in the millions – a horrendous feat already achieved under the leadership of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

What is different under Kim Jong Un is that he has built the capacity to inflict much more carnage on the outside world, including the U.S.

References

  1. ^ his uncle in 2013 (www.washingtonpost.com)
  2. ^ half-brother in 2017 (www.theguardian.com)
  3. ^ likely (www.chosun.com)
  4. ^ to number in the hundreds (www.rfa.org)
  5. ^ father’s death on Dec. 17, 2011 (www.history.com)
  6. ^ northern border to China closed (www.cnn.com)
  7. ^ United Nations has reported (dprkorea.un.org)
  8. ^ starvation and malnourishment-related conditions such as diarrhea and pneumonia (www.ohchr.org)
  9. ^ scholar of Korean history (fletcher.tufts.edu)
  10. ^ claimed upwards of 4 million lives (www.history.com)
  11. ^ Keystone/Getty Images (www.gettyimages.com)
  12. ^ 1953 armistice (www.ourdocuments.gov)
  13. ^ killed or expelled (cdn.theconversation.com)
  14. ^ inherited power in July 1994 (www.theguardian.com)
  15. ^ devastating famine (nationalinterest.org)
  16. ^ upwards of 2 million (www.nytimes.com)
  17. ^ diverted to North Korea’s military (cup.columbia.edu)
  18. ^ estimated North Korea’s military budget as US$6 billion (www.nytimes.com)
  19. ^ over $600 million on luxury goods imports (www.ohchr.org)
  20. ^ just $200 million of his wealth each year (www.ohchr.org)
  21. ^ committed the “inhumane act of knowingly causing prolonged starvation (www.ohchr.org)
  22. ^ resurfaced during the pandemic (www.aljazeera.com)
  23. ^ around 1.36 million metric tons in 2018 (news.un.org)
  24. ^ and 2019 (www.nytimes.com)
  25. ^ eat less until 2025 (www.yahoo.com)
  26. ^ quarter of North Korea’s GDP toward the military (www.newsweek.com)
  27. ^ dropped in half from the previous year to approximately 1,500 (www.wsj.com)
  28. ^ is expected to be well below 100 (www.unikorea.go.kr)
  29. ^ I predicted (www.nbr.org)
  30. ^ 130 missiles over the last 10 years (missilethreat.csis.org)
  31. ^ a thermonuclear bomb (www.cbsnews.com)
  32. ^ You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter (memberservices.theconversation.com)
  33. ^ dangles the possibility of peace (www.nytimes.com)
  34. ^ compelling Washington to withdraw (www.cnbc.com)

Read more https://theconversation.com/kim-jong-uns-decade-in-power-starvation-repression-and-brutal-rule-just-like-his-father-and-grandfather-173809

The Times Features

Why Regional Small Businesses in Bendigo Deserve Better Access to Finance in 2025

In the heart of regional Victoria, Bendigo has long stood as a beacon of innovation, resilience and community spirit. As we step further into 2025, the importance of nurturing sm...

Is It Time for a Deep Cleaning? Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

Most people know they should visit the dentist for a regular check-up and cleaning every six months. But sometimes, a standard cleaning isn’t enough. When plaque and tartar build...

The Hidden Meaning Behind Popular Engagement Ring Cuts

When it comes to engagement rings, the cut of the diamond is not just about aesthetics. Each shape carries its own symbolism and significance, making it an important decision for...

Annual Health Exams in the Office: How They Can Reduce Sick Days and Healthcare Costs

Regular health check-ups, especially annual health exams in the office, can significantly impact the overall well-being of your workforce. A proactive approach to employee health...

Best Deals on Home Furniture Online

Key Highlights Discover the best deals on high-quality outdoor furniture online. Transform your outdoor space into a stylish and comfortable oasis. Explore a wide range of d...

Discover the Best Women's Jumpers for Every Season

Key Highlights Explore lightweight jumpers for spring and summer, ensuring breathability and ease. Wrap up warm with cozy wool jumpers for the chilly autumn and winter season...

Times Magazine

The Essential Guide to Transforming Office Spaces for Maximum Efficiency

Why Office Fitouts MatterA well-designed office can make all the difference in productivity, employee satisfaction, and client impressions. Businesses of all sizes are investing in updated office spaces to create environments that foster collaborat...

The A/B Testing Revolution: How AI Optimized Landing Pages Without Human Input

A/B testing was always integral to the web-based marketing world. Was there a button that converted better? Marketing could pit one against the other and see which option worked better. This was always through human observation, and over time, as d...

Using Countdown Timers in Email: Do They Really Increase Conversions?

In a world that's always on, where marketers are attempting to entice a subscriber and get them to convert on the same screen with one email, the power of urgency is sometimes the essential element needed. One of the most popular ways to create urg...

Types of Software Consultants

In today's technology-driven world, businesses often seek the expertise of software consultants to navigate complex software needs. There are several types of software consultants, including solution architects, project managers, and user experienc...

CWU Assistive Tech Hub is Changing Lives: Win a Free Rollator Walker This Easter!

🌟 Mobility. Independence. Community. All in One. This Easter, the CWU Assistive Tech Hub is pleased to support the Banyule community by giving away a rollator walker. The giveaway will take place during the Macleod Village Easter Egg Hunt & Ma...

"Eternal Nurture" by Cara Barilla: A Timeless Collection of Wisdom and Healing

Renowned Sydney-born author and educator Cara Barilla has released her latest book, Eternal Nurture, a profound collection of inspirational quotes designed to support mindfulness, emotional healing, and personal growth. With a deep commitment to ...

LayBy Shopping