Portraits of a Dynasty
This article describes the ever present pictures of the Kim dynasty strewn high above mantelpieces of every household in North Korea. It describes how every building, private or public, is required to have a portrait of the Kims high above any realistic persons’ height. It also details how every person living within the borders of the rogue state must have a pendant of the Kims on their chest right above the heart whenever venturing outside of the house. A schoolteacher describes how they wear it above the heart to insure they are always reminded of the dynasty’s sacrifices at all times.
I believe the source I have for this story to be extremely credible, as Reuters has shown to be a great source for reporting with no bias, showing both side of the story and leaving the reader up to interpretation. I believe this to by a true demonstration of how much brainwashing plays into the Kims’ desperate clutch to power and how much they truly rely on them retaining a cult of personality and to what may appear to us westerners as them retaining a God-like persona.
This story, to me, has a clear parallel to the cult of personality King George had around himself in the brief time before the American Revolution. There were statues of him in every town square, not a far reach from the images of the Kim dynasty prevelant all across Korea. The aftermath of King George’s abrasive personality resulting in no small part in the Revolution, makes me wonder if something of a similar fashion may occur soon in North Korea.
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