Reincarnation of love

"We thank him for his love and care for the people`s health." North Korean media have begun to praise their new leader, saying amenities near Kim Jong Il`s mausoleum such as hot water and prefabricated clinics were provided at the behest of successor Kim Jong Un. North Koreans are exposed to suspicion of their ideological devotion if they fail to go to the funeral three times a day even in the cold weather. "Residents who went to the funeral shed tears as they were so impressed by the sugar water," the state-run North Korean Central News Agency said, adding, "They said he (Kim Jong Un) is the reincarnation of love, indeed."

North Koreans seem to believe that a leader`s love is handed down from father to son. According to North Korean media, Kim Jong Il was also the reincarnation of love. In 2005, the Rodong Shinmun, the official daily of the ruling Workers` Party, carried a story on a man who died after rescuing the portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il before his wife when his house was on fire. "Our leader Kim Jong Il showed us his deep love by letting the entire country know about this story after he heard of it," the report said. North Koreans` loyalty derived from such "love" has also been seen. In the 2003 Daegu Universiade, North Korean cheerleaders wailed and embraced the portrait of Kim Jong Il, saying the placard with his picture was abandoned in the rain.

Kim Hye-young, a former North Korean actress and singer, said North Koreans did this because they have been brainwashed since they were young. New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof said, "The loudspeaker affixed to the wall in each home awakens the household with propaganda in the morning," adding, "The most surprising thing was the loudspeaker is like a radio but without a dial or off switch." Kristof also said the loudspeaker underscores that North Korea is not just another dictatorship but the most totalitarian country ever. The grief of the North Korean people is probably sincere and the country might not collapse any time soon, he said.

North Koreans who grew up being educated under the "love" of the Kim dynasty could have changed significantly from their South Korean counterparts. After the 100th day of the death of Kim Il Sung in 1994, Kim Jong Il declared that North Koreans are the descendants of Kim Il Sung because the ancestor of the socialist Joseon (referring to the North) was Kim Il Sung. One can get rid of a fantasy when he or she realizes that the feeling believed as love is based on a partner`s lie. Hopefully, North Koreans can do so.

Editorial Writer Kim Sun-deok (yuri@donga.com)