North Korea: suffer the little children

Aidan Foster-Carter:

The task of building up Kim Jong-un as a credible leader continues, and Pyongyang's peculiar political culture adds its own burdens. On the one hand, thrusting a callow twenty-something into the top slot merely because of who his father was compels a relentless emphasis on continuity.

Now and for evermore, Kim Jong-un must be lauded as the political heir and inheritor of his father Kim Jong-il and grandfather Kim Jong-un.

On the other hand, continuity alone is not enough. Given the DPRK's problems, 'same old same old' on its own would not be a palatable message. Not that anyone is asking the people their view, but even a system as top-down as North Korea cannot wholly neglect the popular mood. So the leaden stress on continuity must also be leavened by hints of change, offering hope for the future.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at July 15, 2012 1:41 AM
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