Kim Il Sung did not possess teleportation ability, Rodong Sinmun says

North Korea’s state newspaper ran an article that debunks the myth of Kim Il Sung’s teleportation ability.

In the “The Secret to Teleportation” published on Wednesday, the Rodong Sinmun quoted the conversation Kim Il Sung had with residents of Yongchon, North Pyongan Province in November 1945. It said that, asked by a resident about how he transported in guerrilla attacks against Japan, the North Korean founding father replied one cannot move immediately from one place to another, attributing the victory to strong support of the public.

Experts say that such report shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s reluctance to deify himself. “Idolizing the leader’s appearance and activities covers truth,” he said in a letter to the second national propaganda conference in March last year. This shows his desire to portray himself as a human leader instead of a god as his father and grandfather did. Some argue that it is a practical move given it is impossible to idolize a leader when information is being exchanged, albeit limited, with six million smartphones distributed in North Korea.


Gi-Jae Han record@donga.com