Spotlight on Kim Myung-chol: KCNA File No. 14
Click here to view KNCA File No. 14 (March 14 – March 17) in its entirety.
Kim Myong-chol | Photo Courtesy of ABC News
Feeling the need to brush up on some Juche or Songun philosophy? The North American Juche-Songun Ideas Study Group provides material that may be of use at their WordPress blog, operative since March 2012. Of course, actually joining the group, even virtually, presents a few unique obstacles:
We should clarify also that while Juche has been called “third positionist” by some of its’ enemies, and while valid parallels can be drawn between some of the Great Leaders’ ideas and those of various figures upheld by third positionists, third poisitionist [sic] groups are notoriously filled with police officers, would-be-terrorists and a whole host of other shady folks and we ask that if you’re a member of any of these types of groups, stay away from us.
As we are a comradely organisation built on personal trust among our members which we hope is a position that will be understood by those interested in joining our group, any new members will first have to pass a candidate stage during which we will have to investigate you to confirm your identity and validity of your desires to join; again we hope you will understand and bear as it is necessary to prevent infiltration in our group.
While the goal of the blog is a propagandistic one — i.e., to distribute the foundational philosophies of Kim Il-song and writing in support of the DPRK — it appears that the writers are also practicing what they preach, living out the Kim guerilla code by anticipating a round of purges even in the smallest organization. Those who maintain the blog claim to be writing for the Anti-Imperialist Nationalist Democratic Front of south Korea (AINDF).
In addition to the the pro-DPRK posts and news links, there is a dedicated section at the blog to the works of Kim Myong-chol, a Zainichi Korean writer and editor out of Japan. Myong-chol is best known as the “unofficial” spokesperson of Kim Jong-il, and his output has appeared to only accelerate after the Dear Leader’s fateful railroad demise. As a mouthpiece for the DPRK, Myong-chol has been noted for his strident defense of North Korea’s sovereign right to test nuclear weapons and making clear that the next war fought by Korea “will be better called the American War or the DPRK-US War because the main theater will be the continental US, with major cities transformed into towering infernos.” (See his 2006 piece entitled “Kim’s message: War is coming to US soil.”)
In more recent publications, Myong-chol has continued the trans-Pacific war theme. An article from March 6, citedand unevenly conveyed in KCNA File No. 14, reveals his efforts to communicate “the objective of Kim Jong-un,” which, in Myong-chol’s rendering, is “to create a creeping perception among the Americans that all the US troops and American civilians in South Korea are in harm’s way, wherever they are, as long as they remain hostile to North Korea.” This tactic, if effective, would induce the Americans into making “a long-overdue strategic decision to opt for diplomatic ties and a peace treaty….” Of course, blame for the breakdown in negotiations following the November 29 “Leap Day” agreement, which could have theoretically lead to “diplomatic ties and a peace treaty,” is placed entirely on the US for its (mis)interpretation of the planned satellite launch as a violation of previous agreements prohibiting ballistic missile launches.
As Kim Myong-chol’s star continues to rise (though never above men who are deemed to be “75% God”) in the firmament of the North Korean media, SinoNK’s own Evan Koepfler, KCNA Analyst, reads the constellations. – S.C. Denney, Assistant Editor
Spotlight on Kim Myong-chol: KCNA File No. 14 (March 11 – March 17)
by Evan Koepfler
With tensions continuing to emerge in the conflict between North and South Korea, China’s role in North Korean news media was again decreased. With a total of seven stories published this week, readers of KCNA will see only a slight increase in publications from last week’s six total stories. Of the stories published, yet another account of Koreans in China and their reaction to Lee Myung Bak’s treasonous actions was published. This time, the “Federation of Korean Youth in China” released a statement that fiercely condemned Lee and his group of “traitors.” The statement again tore into Lee for his supposed warmongering against North Korea, and denounced him for “hurting the dignity” of the DPRK. With most of the news out of KCNA this week revolving around the conflict, it is not surprising that KCNA would press views of activities in China into service.
In addition to the continued coverage of the Lee controversy, KCNA also published two stories detailing the closing of the 5th Session of the 11th National People’s Congress in China. At the close, Hu Jintao himself delivered a message stressing the need for China to enhance defense and army building. Also decided at the meeting were various resolutions on economic growth and the implementation of plans for the year 2012. Absent from the KCNA coverage was writing of any kind of conflict surrounding the Congress, much less the emerging signs of struggles among Chinese ruling elites along the lines of the Wang Lijun-Bo Xilai affair.
Finally, KCNA reprised an article featured in the Asia Times which they said was entitled “Leader Kim Jong Un Leads Movement for Reunification.” (Actually, the article by Kim Myong Chol, is entitled “Kim Jong-eun Leads Reunification Drive,” and was published on March 6.) The article, which stated that the “neutralization of the U.S. forces in south Korea and their withdrawal from there will be the most brilliant feat of supreme leader Kim Jong Un,” went on to discuss the possibility—even the probability of nuclear war. The article vehemently defended the DPRK’s military abilities, assuring readers that unlike the Korean War, fighting would spill over to American soil. While KCNA has seen relatively more summaries of pro-North Korean articles from the Chinese press in the last year, it is worth noting that there was not a single such summary this week apart from Asia Times, which is neither written in Chinese nor an CCP-affiliated paper.
Click here to view KNCA File No. 14 (March 14 – March 17) in its entirety.
