For a person who is not easy to approach usually does not have many nicknames. Even such nicknames, “tiger” or “silly” called by teachers are considered the expressions of “closeness” that nicknames function as the medium to make the relationship softer and warmer by caricaturizing one’s character through a word. However, giving a nickname to an authoritative figure would not lead to the ‘closer relationship’, thus it is a better idea to not nicknaming such figures. Yet, Kim Jong Il’s case is an exception. It is questionable how the ‘unapproachable’ person has that many nicknames. For this aspect, not only does he resemble his father Kim Il Sung, but also he has more number of nicknames.

Including ’Great Leader’ and ‘Kim Il Sung is a god’, laudations and honorable titles that comes before Kim Il sung’s name were about 180 words in the 1960’s, early idolization period. These rhetoric and nicknames took Kim Il sung up to the position of god from the position of human. It is interesting to note that Kim Jong il, who took advantage of his father’s charisma to maintain the regime, now is becoming his father’s level of receiving many nicknames. Another characteristic to note about Kim Jong Il’s nicknames is that they are all sycophant enough to make Kim to have a strained laugh. How different is Kim’s ‘strained laugh’ from the true value of nicknames which is to enjoy and laugh happily.


▶ “center of party”, after September 1973 ▶ “the only leader”, June 1975, to commemorate Kim Jong Il’s Birthday as the official holiday ▶ “glorious leader”, “admirable leader”, after 1977 ▶ “the director”, after February 1983, to commemorate Kim Il Sung’s 41st birthday ▶ “the supreme commander”, after 1983 May, (regardless of his position) ▶ “the leader”, this appeared temporarily in February, 1985 ▶ “father of the people”, after February 1986 ▶ “great leader”, “baek du gwang myung sung (bright star)”, “Hyang do sung”, after February 1987 ▶ “Another eminent leader”, after October 1991 ▶ “excellent military strategist”, “supreme creature like steel”, on the Rodong shinmoon written by Oh Jin woo, the head of people’s force, July 1993 ▶ “father of the nation”, “leader of the people”, after August 1993 ▶ “our father”, after October 1993 ▶ “dear leader” was indicated and appeared on every textbooks ▶ “the most faithful incarnation”, Kim Il sung directly mentioned on March 4th, 1994 ▶ “the best commander comrade”, “the general”, and “dear leader” have been used since Kim Jong il came to the power in 1997