Juche, the state ideology that makes North Koreans revere Kim Jong Un, explained
VoxJun 18, 2018
NKorea: Influential Former Official Kim Ki Nam Dies at 94
Image copyright: Zhizhao Wu/Contributor/Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
The Facts
Former North Korean official, Kim Ki Nam, died Tuesday at 94. The North's state media reflected that he furthered the "information and publicity field" and played "a distinguished role in thoroughly establishing the monolithic leadership system of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un."
He was part of a core group of loyal regime supporters who helped maintain the three generations of the dynasty since its inception in 1945, reportedly serving as deputy head of the regime's public relations from 1966 to 1985 and then as a chief in that function until 2017.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Kim Ki Nam dies as a symbol of the decades that the North Korean government has maintained control over its people largely thanks to its powerful propaganda machine. The way a starving population has been tricked is unfathomable and he should be remembered for his cruelty.
Establishment-critical narrative
When it comes to "propaganda," North Korea is actually the victim and the US is the purveyor in movies, television, and more recently, social media. Kim Ki Nam lived proudly in opposition to the lies the US has spread in order to convince other countries to accept its interventionist agenda and look at the US as a hero.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that North Korea will become a democracy by January 2076, according to the Metaculus prediction community.