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Tom Barber's Reviews > A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power
A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power
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This book was remarkable! I will not relate any of the story of the principals, but rather share several things that I learned about the hermit kingdom of North Korea:
1. The people of the DPRK have been incredibly isolated—so much so that until Director Shin’s first North Korean film, which included scenes shot in Eastern Europe, few North Koreans had ever seen a single image of the world outside their own borders.
2. Kidnapping of foreigners (on foreign soil) was a common policy of the North Korean government from the end of the Korean War until beyond 1980. Estimates of the number of kidnapped person vary widely, ranging from three thousand to tens of thousands (including South Korean POWs and other citizens who were never repatriated).
3. There is a section of the government, Division 39, which is devoted to legal and illegal businesses to gain foreign currency for the leader of the country. The illegal operations include counterfeiting, narcotics and arms sales.
4. Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il (and I imagine Kim Jong Un as well) were essentially deified in North Korea. At the time of the kidnapping referenced in this book, no birthdays were celebrated in the country other than those of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. To commemorate those days, the government gave gifts to children, who were then required to bow before the mandatory photo of Kim Jong-Sun in their house and thank him for what he had given them.
I learned much more and the story of Shin Sang-ok and Choi Eun-hee is riveting. I strongly recommend this book!
1. The people of the DPRK have been incredibly isolated—so much so that until Director Shin’s first North Korean film, which included scenes shot in Eastern Europe, few North Koreans had ever seen a single image of the world outside their own borders.
2. Kidnapping of foreigners (on foreign soil) was a common policy of the North Korean government from the end of the Korean War until beyond 1980. Estimates of the number of kidnapped person vary widely, ranging from three thousand to tens of thousands (including South Korean POWs and other citizens who were never repatriated).
3. There is a section of the government, Division 39, which is devoted to legal and illegal businesses to gain foreign currency for the leader of the country. The illegal operations include counterfeiting, narcotics and arms sales.
4. Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il (and I imagine Kim Jong Un as well) were essentially deified in North Korea. At the time of the kidnapping referenced in this book, no birthdays were celebrated in the country other than those of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. To commemorate those days, the government gave gifts to children, who were then required to bow before the mandatory photo of Kim Jong-Sun in their house and thank him for what he had given them.
I learned much more and the story of Shin Sang-ok and Choi Eun-hee is riveting. I strongly recommend this book!
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Reading Progress
April 2, 2016
– Shelved as:
to-read
April 2, 2016
– Shelved
June 3, 2018
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Started Reading
June 28, 2018
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Finished Reading
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Jamie
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Oct 16, 2018 05:54AM
Last year, we purchased a YA memoir written by a North Korean young woman who managed to escape. This stuff should probably be required reading!
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It is absolutely amazing. I have jokingly told my sons they need to enjoy North Korea while it's around, because it's the only place left like it, but in all seriousness, it is very, very sad. Many people have lived and died with no idea what it could be like to pursue the things that interest them and actually enjoy some of their lives. They also have absolutely no idea what the world is really like. So sad!!!
