For over 70 years, North Korea has essentially been ruled as a Communist monarchy, a regime marked by isolation, brutality, and belligerence. Now on the brink of being a nuclear power capable of striking the United States, international concern is running at a fever pitch. Filmmaker Jane McMullen’s PBS-aired Frontline documentary reviews recent events in Kim Jong-un’s dictatorship, notably the mysterious killing of Kim Jong-nam, the older half-brother of North Korea’s strongman. The murder was brazenly carried out in a Malaysian airport by two women who covered Jong-nam’s face with a cloth soaked with a deadly nerve agent, and were apparently convinced they were part of a reality show type prank. Although the women were apprehended, the North Korean intelligence agents who watched nearby escaped, fleeing back to North Korea. The documentary notes that the murder sent a message that the country could reach any of its enemies. Although Jong-nam was a dissolute playboy, he dabbled in illegal financial schemes, had criticized the regime and urged reforms, and there was fear that he might form a government in exile. Kim Jong-un, who came to power in 2011 and didn’t have much time to build a power base, has conducted bloody purges, engaged in human rights abuses, and ordered brutal executions (including his uncle’s). Jong-un is obsessed with maintaining his power and stockpiling nuclear weapons, which he views as a hedge against regime change. Computer hacking, money laundering, and other criminal activities help to overcome crippling international financial sanctions, increasing his chance of survival. Although many of North Korea’s citizens are starving and are subject to surveillance and suppression, the cultivation of the country’s military and government elites favors the continuation of this "elaborate soap opera." The documentary ends by asking the perennial question, "What does North Korea want?" Featuring interviews with think tank members and government officials, this is a timely and alarming examination of one of the biggest threats to world peace. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)
North Korea’s Deadly Dictator
(2017) 60 min. DVD: $24.99. PBS Video. SDH captioned. ISBN: 978-1-5317-0372-1. Volume 33, Issue 3
North Korea’s Deadly Dictator
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