Becoming Kim Jong Un

Introduction

North Korea has long been a subject of fascination and concern for the international community. At the center of this intrigue is Kim Jong Un, the country's young and enigmatic leader. In her book "Becoming Kim Jong Un," Jung H. Pak, a former CIA officer, offers a comprehensive look at the life, character, and reign of this controversial figure.

Drawing from her extensive experience analyzing North Korea for the intelligence community, Pak provides readers with a nuanced understanding of Kim Jong Un's rise to power, his leadership style, and the complex dynamics that shape his decision-making. This book summary will explore the key ideas presented in Pak's work, offering insights into the man behind the headlines and the future of North Korea under his rule.

The Legacy of the Kim Dynasty

To understand Kim Jong Un, one must first grasp the legacy he inherited from his father and grandfather. The story of North Korea's leadership begins with Kim Il Sung, Jong Un's grandfather and the country's first supreme leader.

Kim Il Sung: The Founding Father

Kim Il Sung ruled North Korea for nearly 50 years, from 1948 until his death in 1994. During his reign, he established a cult of personality that would shape the country for generations to come. North Koreans viewed him as a hero and a father figure, with his portraits adorning every building and his birthday celebrated as a national holiday.

However, Kim Il Sung's legacy was not just one of adoration. He laid the foundations for a brutal regime that would continue long after his death. Some of his key actions included:

1. Imprisoning political opponents
2. Shaping the education system to instill obedience
3. Promoting the idea of his own superhuman abilities
4. Making scapegoats of those deemed insufficiently loyal to the revolution

These actions set the stage for the oppressive regime that would follow under his son and grandson.

Kim Jong Il: Advancing the Legacy

Kim Jong Il, Jong Un's father, took over leadership of North Korea after Il Sung's death in 1994. Long before assuming power, Jong Il had been groomed as his father's successor. He continued and expanded upon many of his father's policies, including:

1. Cultivating a mythological image of himself
2. Expanding the political base established by his father
3. Exiling or discrediting dissenters
4. Continuing to indoctrinate the population

However, Jong Il's rule faced significant challenges. The dissolution of the Soviet Union, a key ally and economic supporter of North Korea, left the country increasingly isolated. As democracy flourished in Asia and around the world, North Korea's Marxist-Leninist politics seemed increasingly out of step with global trends.

In response to these challenges, Jong Il further isolated the country, strengthening internal security measures and ruthlessly rooting out dissent. It was during this time that North Korea began developing its nuclear weapons program, viewing it as a necessary deterrent against external threats.

The Rise of Kim Jong Un

With this complex legacy as a backdrop, Kim Jong Un emerged as North Korea's new leader following his father's death in 2011. But why was he chosen over his older siblings?

The Succession Question

Kim Jong Il had three sons: Jong Nam, Jong Chol, and Jong Un. The reasons for choosing Jong Un as successor remain somewhat unclear, but several factors likely played a role:

1. Jong Nam, the oldest, had fallen out of favor due to his mother's exile and his own embarrassing public mishaps. More importantly, he was suspected of wanting to reform and westernize North Korea's economy.

2. Jong Chol, the middle son, was reportedly deemed "too soft" to be a leader. He was more interested in music and basketball than politics.

3. Jong Un, while not the most academically inclined, showed a competitive spirit and a hatred of losing from a young age. These qualities may have appealed to his father as leadership traits.

Jong Un's Early Days as Leader

Kim Jong Un made his political debut at a massive military parade in October 2010, at the age of 26. Shortly after, he was appointed to several high-ranking positions within the party and military, despite having no military experience.

From the moment he took power following his father's death in 2011, Jong Un focused on two key areas:

1. Nuclear weapons development
2. Cyber warfare capabilities

These priorities would shape much of his early reign and continue to influence North Korea's relationships with other nations.

Kim's Nuclear Strategy

Nuclear weapons have been a central part of North Korea's strategy since Kim Jong Un took power. He views these weapons as his primary source of international leverage and uses them as powerful bargaining chips in negotiations with other countries.

Kim's typical approach involves a cycle of agreements and defiance:

1. Enter into international agreements to suspend nuclear activities in exchange for benefits like food aid.
2. Shortly after, conduct new nuclear tests or resume prohibited activities.
3. Face sanctions from Western nations.
4. Eventually, enter into new agreements that roll back some sanctions.

This strategy has allowed North Korea to maintain its nuclear program while periodically gaining concessions from the international community.

Cyber Warfare: North Korea's New Frontier

While North Korea's conventional military forces are aging and underfunded, the country has made significant strides in cyber warfare capabilities. Some key aspects of North Korea's cyber strategy include:

1. Launching cyberattacks as early as 2010
2. Focusing on stealing from foreign banks and transmitting computer viruses
3. Conducting high-profile attacks, such as the 2014 hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment in response to the film "The Interview"

These cyber capabilities provide North Korea with a relatively low-cost way to project power and retaliate against perceived threats or insults.

Kim's Vision for a Modern Dictatorship

One of the most intriguing aspects of Kim Jong Un's leadership is his attempt to create a vision of a "twenty-first-century dictatorship." This involves presenting a more modern and prosperous image of North Korea, both to its own citizens and to the world.

The "Socialist Fairyland"

Kim has invested heavily in developing Pyongyang, the capital city, into what the regime calls a "socialist fairyland." Some key features of this modernization effort include:

1. High-rise apartments and modern shops
2. Children on rollerblades and fashionable women on the streets
3. Development of tourist areas like Wonsan, complete with department stores, golf courses, and ski resorts

This focus on modernization serves several purposes:

1. Countering narratives of North Korea as a bleak, starving country
2. Convincing North Koreans that nuclear weapons have brought prosperity
3. Supporting Kim's policy of "byungjin," or parallel development of nuclear weapons and economic success

The Reality Behind the Facade

While the gleaming streets of Pyongyang may present an image of prosperity, the reality for most North Koreans is far different. Outside the capital, many citizens rely on foreign aid for basic necessities. The stark contrast between the lives of elites in Pyongyang and the rest of the population highlights the superficial nature of much of Kim's modernization efforts.

The Brutal Reality of Kim's Regime

Despite the modern facade, Kim Jong Un's regime remains one of the most repressive in the world. The brutality of the North Korean government is evident in several key areas:

Prison Camps

An estimated 120,000 people are imprisoned in North Korean prison camps, where they face unimaginable brutality:

1. Forced labor in mines, farms, and construction sites
2. Starvation diets that force prisoners to eat rodents, insects, and other small animals
3. Torture, including water torture and sleep deprivation
4. Sexual violence, including rape and forced abortions

These camps are used to contain and isolate anyone who challenges the Kim regime, including family members of dissenters who are deemed guilty by association.

Surveillance State

Outside the prison camps, a pervasive culture of fear and surveillance dominates North Korean society:

1. Constant monitoring of citizens' activities and possessions
2. Rewards for reporting violations of social norms
3. Unannounced inspections of homes
4. A neighborhood watch system that records details about every household

Political Assassinations

Kim has shown a willingness to eliminate political opponents, even when they are his own family members. The most notable example is the 2017 assassination of his half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, at Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur airport. This incident not only removed a potential rival but also demonstrated North Korea's willingness to use chemical weapons in public spaces.

Kim's Diplomatic Pivot

In recent years, Kim Jong Un has shifted his focus towards high-profile diplomacy with world leaders. This change in strategy is likely driven by the intense economic pressure created by international sanctions.

Meeting with South Korea's President

In April 2018, Kim met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). This historic meeting marked the first time a North Korean leader had set foot in South Korean territory since the days of Kim Il Sung. The symbolic nature of the event, with Kim stepping over the Military Demarcation Line, set the stage for further diplomatic engagements.

Summit with Donald Trump

The pinnacle of Kim's diplomatic efforts came in his meetings with US President Donald Trump. These summits were preceded by a period of heightened tensions, with both leaders trading insults and threats. However, the eventual meetings represented a significant shift in US-North Korea relations.

While the summits generated considerable media attention and raised hopes for progress on denuclearization, they ultimately produced little concrete change. This outcome highlights the challenges of negotiating with North Korea and the importance of a nuanced understanding of Kim's motivations and goals.

The Challenges of Negotiating with North Korea

The limited success of recent diplomatic efforts with North Korea underscores the complexity of dealing with Kim Jong Un's regime. Several factors contribute to these challenges:

Misunderstanding Kim's Motivations

One key issue is the tendency of some world leaders, including former President Trump, to project their own perspectives onto Kim. For example, Trump assumed that Kim was primarily motivated by economic considerations and that building a personal rapport would be key to achieving denuclearization.

However, this approach ignores crucial aspects of Kim's worldview:

1. The nuclear program is a legacy inherited from his father
2. North Korea's identity is closely tied to its status as a nuclear state
3. Giving up nuclear weapons in exchange for economic benefits would be seen as dishonorable

The Need for a Nuanced Approach

To make meaningful progress on issues like denuclearization, world leaders need to adopt a more sophisticated strategy when dealing with North Korea. Some key elements of such an approach might include:

1. Coordinated action among the US and its allies
2. Strong commitments to regional security
3. Maintaining robust sanctions
4. Developing a range of response options to North Korean provocations

The goal of this approach would be to convince Kim that his nuclear program is a liability rather than an asset, making his country less secure rather than more so.

Final Thoughts: Understanding the Real Kim Jong Un

As we reflect on the insights provided by Jung H. Pak's "Becoming Kim Jong Un," it becomes clear that the North Korean leader is a far more complex figure than his often-caricatured media portrayal suggests. To truly understand Kim and the challenges he poses to the international community, we must look beyond the surface-level analysis and consider the following key points:

1. The weight of legacy: Kim Jong Un inherited a system built on repression, isolation, and nuclear ambition. His actions are shaped not only by his own desires but by the expectations and structures put in place by his father and grandfather.

2. A rational actor: Despite his often erratic-seeming behavior, Kim is a rational leader pursuing what he sees as his country's best interests. His decisions, while often brutal and destabilizing, follow a certain internal logic.

3. The nuclear question: North Korea's nuclear program is not simply a bargaining chip but a core part of the country's identity and Kim's own legacy. Any attempts at denuclearization must reckon with this reality.

4. Modernization vs. repression: Kim's efforts to present North Korea as a modern, prosperous nation stand in stark contrast to the brutal repression that continues behind the scenes. This dichotomy is a key feature of his rule.

5. The limits of personal diplomacy: While high-profile summits have garnered attention, they have produced little concrete change. Effective engagement with North Korea requires a more comprehensive, multilateral approach.

6. The importance of allies: Coordinated action among the US and its regional allies is crucial for applying meaningful pressure on North Korea and creating incentives for change.

7. Looking beyond the caricature: To effectively address the challenges posed by North Korea, it's essential to move past simplistic portrayals of Kim and develop a nuanced understanding of his motivations and constraints.

As we look to the future, the insights provided by Pak's work suggest that dealing with North Korea will require patience, strategic thinking, and a willingness to engage with the complexities of the situation. While the challenges are significant, a deeper understanding of Kim Jong Un and the forces that shape his decisions offers the best hope for eventually achieving a more stable and less threatening North Korea.

The story of Kim Jong Un is far from over, and the coming years will likely bring new challenges and opportunities in dealing with this enigmatic leader. By approaching these issues with a clear-eyed understanding of Kim's background, motivations, and the realities of his regime, the international community can work towards more effective strategies for engagement and, ultimately, a more peaceful Korean peninsula.