North Korea IV: In Which You Receive Indoctrination

The North Korean government has mastered the art of propaganda. There are no advertisements or billboards anywhere, just murals, monuments, memorials, and posters glorifying Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, the communist party, the general superiority of the Korean race, Korean revolution, victory over oppression (Japanese colonialism or American imperialism) and the reunification of the two Koreas. So a huge percentage of our sight-seeing was being herded from one monument, to the next statue, and then on to the next memorial.





They all started to look the same after a few days, and it was a little creepy to see Kim Il Sung EVERYWHERE.





Some of the mosaics and paintings were actually quite pretty (though not any less weird):







The sights themselves usually weren't that impressive (except in their sheer abundance), but then again, the real fun on a DPRK tour is learning how the Koreans explain, justify, or behave around them.

It was obnoxious and boring for us as tourists, to hear about Kim's revolutionary exploits and general awesome-ness day in and day out, but I can't imagine living like that all the time - growing up with an almost maniacal obsession with past insults, revering a dead man as your savior and "Eternal President", and constantly harping on what your enemies have inflicted on you in the past or what they could be plotting against you right now...

North Koreans interpret their history, and still see themselves today, in terms of their enemies. The darkest period in Korean history was the Japanese occupation from 1910-1945. The South has been able to move forward, but to the North, Japan is still an evil colonial power. Then there was the Korean War; according to the North, it was instigated by the 'American imperialists' or 'American aggressors' (they never say just 'America' in the DPRK, they always use some flattering description) and the South was/is a puppet of the imperialists. The extent to which the North clings to this is amazing. The propaganda keeps those times fresh in the people's minds, and the government can use it to justify their actions today. Kim Il Sung is next to a god, because he saved them from both the Japanese and the Americans.

Kim Il Sung also designed the philosophy of Juche, to guide North Korea and further justify the government's policies. Juche is one word that sums up an entire lifestyle, so it's a little difficult to define, but: Juche philosphy basically means self-reliance, independence, and the power of the Korean people to be their own masters and define their own futures. The defense of the DPRK always comes first, the DPRK doesn't need outside help or resources, and history must be remembered in order to inspire patriotism and love of the motherland. Explains a lot, doesn't it?


And what would Juche be without a monument!? Unveiled on the Eternal President's 70th birthday, and built with no more and no fewer than 25,550 bricks - one for each day of the President's life up to the unveiling. (Thanks to the Wikipedia article on 'Juche' for helping me to articulate that part!)