Where the Fuck is Kim Jong-un? | Paul French
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SHOW DESCRIPTION
Location: Zoom
Date: Wednesday 29th April
Role: Author & Pyongyang Watcher
On the 15th of April, North Korea celebrate their most important annual holiday, the Day of the Sun, to honour the founder, eternal President of North Korea, Kim Il-Sung.
This year, when the current leader of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Kim Jong-un did not attend the celebration of his grandfather, speculation around his whereabouts and welfare began to circulate.
Many media outlets reported that Kim Jong-un had died or is in a vegetive state following a botched operation. In contrast, others have claimed he is just in hiding out of fear of the current coronavirus pandemic.
Getting reliable information out of North Korea is always incredibly difficult, and when it comes to the supreme leader, it is close to impossible.
It is unlikely that outside of North Korea, we will know what has happened to Kim Jong-un until he either makes a public appearance or there is an official statement released by North Korean officials.
In this interview, I am joined by Paul French author of North Korea: A State of Paranoia and an expert on the region. We discuss the history of North Korea and the Kim dynasty, the whereabouts of Kim Jong-un and what to expect next.
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SHOW NOTES
Connect with Paul:
More on the story:
BBC: Kim Jong-un illness rumours denied amid intense speculation
The Guardian: Kim Jong-un could be sheltering from Covid-19 pandemic, say US and Seoul
Bloomberg: South Korean Ministers Say They Know Kim Jong Un’s Location
Independent: The most likely explanations for Kim Jong-un's disappearance
The Times: Spy satellite images hint that Kim Jong-un is on holiday
Sky News: Satellite images of luxury boats 'suggest Kim Jong Un is in North Korean coastal resort'
Mentioned in the show:
Wikipedia: Kim Il-sung
Wikipedia: Kim Jong-il
Wikipedia: Kim Jong-un
New York Times: Where Is Kim Jong-un? How Experts Track North Korea’s Leader
Independent: Inside London’s community of North Korean defectors
History: Bill Clinton Once Struck a Nuclear Deal With North Korea
Wikipedia: Kim Jong-nam
The Guardian: How North Korea got away with the assassination of Kim Jong-nam
The Telegraph: Did Kim Jong-un kill his uncle and brother over 'coup plot involving China'?
Wikipedia: List of officials purged and executed by Kim Jong-un
The Guardian: Kim Jong-un's uncle Jang Song-thaek executed, say North Korean state media
Reuters: The North Korean history behind Kim Jong Un's mountain horse ride
History: North Korea's Devastating Famine
Cambridge: Chronic Food Shortages and the Collective Farm System in North Korea | Journal of East Asian Studies
Wikipedia: Josip Broz Tito
Wikipedia: Bombing of North Korea
Wikipedia: Joseph Stalin
Wikipedia: Mao Zedong
History: Cuban Missile Crisis - Causes, Timeline & Significance
BBC: North Korea's human rights: What's not being talked about
Wikipedia: Collective punishment
Business Insider: North Korean defector shot 5 times in epic escape says it's a 'miracle' he's alive
Washington Post: North Korean Leader's Son Blamed for Rangoon Bombing
Financial Times: Kim Jong Un’s cyber army raises cash for North Korea
The Guardian: China to enforce UN sanctions against North Korea
CNN: Rumors surrounding Kim Jong Un not 'based on the facts' says former North Korean diplomat
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