Exit Emperor Kim Jong-il

abbott press

Contents

Preface..................................................................ix1. The Summit............................................................12. Kim Jong-il's Youth...................................................143. Kim Jong-il's First Marriage..........................................314. Kim Jong-il's Rise to Power...........................................385. Kim Jong-il Takes Control.............................................526. Death of Kim Il-sung..................................................687. The Famine............................................................778. Kim Jong-il's Preservation of Power...................................839. Dynastic Transfer of Power............................................12310. Let My People Go!....................................................13711. Epilogue.............................................................143Afterword................................................................1511. Who's Who in Kim Family's Circle of Power.............................1592. Writings by Hwang Jang-yop............................................1653. Aphorisms of the Great Leader Comrade Kim Jong-il.....................169

Chapter One

A Boeing jet carrying South Korean president Kim Dae-jung and his presidential party swooped down on the tarmac of the Sun Ahn Airport outside Pyongyang, slowly taxied toward the concourse, and rolled to a stop, precisely in front of a reception area covered with a red carpet. Cameras zoomed in on the airplane's door in anticipation of the visiting dignitary, and the door opened. Kim Dae-jung emerged from the plane. The octogenarian smiled and waved to the roaring North Koreans, women dressed in colorful Korean garb and men in suits, all of them waving flowers and flags with unprecedented fervor. The elderly statesman gingerly climbed down the ramp, one step at a time, until he finally touched down on the red carpet.

Waiting to greet him was Kim Jong-il, the younger of the two Kims, who took the elder Kim's hands, shook them, and held them, warm and close. It could easily have been the picture of a reunion of two long-lost relatives, an uncle on a visit to his nephew's home.

"Welcome, Mr. President," Kim Jong-il said. "You're so brave to travel all this way."

The elder Kim, sometimes referred to as DJ, beamed with reckless abandon, contrary to his usual stoic demeanor, while the younger Kim assured his "uncle" that all was well in the fatherland. DJ understood what Kim Jong-il meant about being "brave" to visit Pyongyang.

Even though the flight only took one hour, the distance between them metaphysically and metaphorically was a million miles, from one end of the world to the other. They had been living as enemies for five decades, ever since the Korean War in 1950. Technically they were still at war, separated by a strip of land about a mile and a half wide, running across the peninsula's waist. It is universally called the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), a striking misnomer, since the DMZ is the most heavily armed area in the world. Tons of missiles, tanks, and a million-plus troops are poised for a fight at a moment's notice. Countless landmines are buried in between the missiles, tanks, and troops, a testimony to lingering conflict between the North and the South. Former president Bill Clinton once visited the DMZ and called it "the scariest place on Earth."

DJ replied, "It is great to see you," and shook Kim Jong-il's hand again. DJ was surprised to see him at the airport, because the original plan had called for a meeting at the guest house. But then, Kim Jong-il was a man of surprises, and one could always count on that.

Kim Jong-il has reveled in unpredictability over the years. This summit in 2000 was his turn to shine, his time, his show for the entire world. He was ready to make the most out of this rare opportunity as the world press swarmed his city, Pyongyang. He especially liked shocking the old politician from the South, who had paid millions of dollars (reportedly $500 million, one-half the amount originally asked for) for the privilege of visiting Pyongyang under the premise of promoting peace on the peninsula. He knew that DJ aspired to go down in history as the "unification president" of the Korean Peninsula, and he meant to capitalize on what he perceived as the old man's weakness. As much as he abhorred capitalism, Kim Jong-il needed the money, and in return, he was willing to "grace" the world with his charm. The Western press had been harsh on him over the years, painting him as an isolationist dictator who purposefully starved his people while he lived in luxury and wealth in his many palaces. At the same time, it has long been evident that he didn't care what the capitalist press said about him. In his mind, they were always wrong and didn't deserve any attention. He has always touted that all the criticisms he received in the capitalist press meant that he was doing something right.

However, something strange happened during the days of the 2000 summit. Kim Jong-il had the press eating out of his hands. Their cameras recorded every moment the two Kims were together, except during the forty-minute limo ride from the airport to DJ's guest house, leaving everyone to wonder about the content of the private conversation. The reporters were enthralled with Kim Jong-il, who was wryly cracking jokes during these encounters. He said at the dinner with DJ, "In Europe, they say that I live a secluded life, but actually I have traveled quite a bit. This time, you came to liberate me from seclusion." Everyone broke out in laughter, including the reporters. He continued and asked DJ, "How is the noodle soup? The noodles don't taste good if you rush it. Please take your time and enjoy the noodles." He jumped from one subject to another, showing that he was in charge of the conversations at the table.

Kim Jong-il handled these reporters with ease. They lapped up everything he threw out, hailing him as "humorous," "honest," "well-informed," and so on. These were the same reporters who had described him as an "enigma," an "odd weirdo," a "drunken womanizer," and an "incompetent leader."

He smirked at the headline in the South's morning newspaper on June 15, the last day of the summit. It read, "Chairman Kim demonstrates his drinking ability," referring to the wine toast he had made at the dinner the night before and the way he downed a large glass of wine in one smooth gulp. Kim Jong-il said, "I don't know why they [the Southern press] take potshots at me like this."

DJ replied, "Well, it took me four sips to finish my glass."

Kim Jong-il came back with, "But they say nothing about your drinking ... just about my drinking ability. I suppose I proved to them what they suspected all along."

Laughter broke out. He waited for the laughter to subside and said, "Well, I suppose it makes for a good story."

The summit ended well as far as Kim Jong-il was concerned, a personal victory as well as a victory for the revolution. The people in the South became crazy about him. They even imitated his hairstyle and his jumpsuit. He had been under his father's shadow all his life, but thanks to this "coming out party," he showed himself as a capable leader for the...