An In-Depth Look at Kim’s Affinity for Aircrafts

Kim Jong Eun’s fascination with aircrafts has been well documented throughout North Korean state media. To delve deeper into the the implications this proclivity may have for North Korean society, Unification Media Group [UMG] has invited Director Jeon Hyeon Jun of the Northeast Asia Peace
and Cooperation Institute to join us in a discussion on the topic.

1. Kim Jong Eun recently visited Pyongyang’s
Sunan International Airport, where currently they’re building a new terminal. Kim
has shown immense interest in this construction project. What do you think the
reason behind that is?
 

Airports are the gateways to any country.
When we go abroad, in many cases, our first impression of that country is shaped
by how convenient or clean the airport is, how friendly the workers are,
whether there are taxis available, and how nice the drivers are. The same would
apply to the Sunan International Airport. I’ve been there myself and at the
time, the airport was way too small, shabby, and the employees were terribly
unfriendly.
 

But in July of 2012 — not long after Kim
Jong Eun came into power — he made an on-site visit to the Sunan Airport, and
ordered a second terminal be built. After returning in December of 2014, he
found it was not to his liking, saying that it failed to reflect national pride
and the Juche ideology; ultimately, that’s why he ordered it to be redesigned. The
reconstruction is underway and not yet complete, but after his recent inspection
Kim reportedly expressed his satisfaction. The second terminal has many new systems
put in place, it’s clean, and has a picture of a white tiger drawn on the outer
walls, which symbolizes Korea’s national spirit. It is said that Kim approved of the new airport, saying it is modern and reflective of the
country’s national pride.
 

2. It is speculated that Kim intends to use
this new terminal as a foundation to attract more foreign tourists. But with
the number of foreign tourists being so low, some say that the construction is
merely an attempt to add something else to Kim’s list of accomplishments. What’s
your take on that?
 

Both Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il undertook many
monumental projects. Especially in the case of Kim Jong Il, the Juche
Tower, Nampo Gateway and various large-scale construction projects were
built during his era, considered to be his legacies. Kim Jong Eun is following
suit, it seems, aiming to do the same. Boosting his legacy is one
thing, but the question is whether this project is of no use and economical
value. We know that North Korea is trying to raise more foreign currency by
attracting foreign tourists, sending workers abroad, and exporting minerals. Bearing
this fact in mind, I believe the terminal is part of a political calculation to
lure in more foreign visitors.
 

As of now, North Korea’s relationship with
the U.S. and the greater international community is not good, likely making it difficult for many tourists to visit. Still, if the number of
tourists does happen to increase in the future, it would be hard– if not
impossible–for the old Sunan Airport to accommodate them all. That’s why in
some ways the North inevitably had to build a new terminal. For the time being, it can further serve the scores of Chinese tourists entering the country. Additionally, more and more people are visiting the
Panmunjom truce village [on the South-North border] by way of Pyongyang and
there’s an increase in those going to other regions such as Wonsan. So it looks
like the goal of the airport upgrade is to accommodate that need and rake in more foreign capital.
 

3. Whereas Kim expressed his discontent
when he visited the new airport last November, he said he was satisfied this
time. He had ordered they build the airport to more visibly express national
pride. That seems to be a rather odd demand for an airport. Where do you think
it came from?
 

As you know, North Korea heavily emphasizes
nationality and national traits. It may be his way of saying he will open
up some to the rest of the world but still preserve cultures and traditions
unique to the country. In terms of the economy, he has opened the doors to some
extent, but always emphasizes independence and self-reliance as the
bedrock for such changes. If you come into contact with any North Korean
elite these days you will hear them complain about the South, claiming its national identity and traditional roots are devolving deeper into obscurity.

Some North Korean bureaucrats are even purporting that the Korean Peninsula needs to be reunified before the sense of
national identity is lost completely. They are proud of themselves for being
able to well maintain their traditions. They believe they have been able to
preserve the cultures of Korea’s historical dynasties such Gojoseon, Goguryeo,
Goryeo, and Chosun. Based on this belief, they emphasize the preservation of national
identity and take pride in it. Through such efforts, their aim might be to
highlight the fact that Kim Jong Eun is indeed the ‘nation’s leader.’
 

4. Kim Jong Eun’s love for airports and
airplanes seems to run deep. He has recently shown much interest in light aircrafts.
Kim has shown obsession for domestic production for many products, and recently
Rodong Sinmun published a photo of him all proud about a North Korea
manufactured light airplane. Why do you think he is so focused on manufacturing
light planes within the country?
 

There are suspicions on whether the light
airplanes are really being domestically produced. It is possible that North
Korea imports the core components such as engines, and domestically produces only
the secondary parts. Home production is linked to the idea of independence and
self-reliance in the economy. The issue of home-developed planes emerged on
April 1st during an inspection of a machinery factory operated by comrade Chun
Dong Ryul. If you look back on North Korea’s history, in the 1950s, the North
would buy two tractors from the Soviet Union and use one but disassemble the other. Then, it would take each part and reassemble it to produce a ‘homegrown product.’ The state propagated this achievement, but when Kim Il Sung rode this
tractor it drove backwards; it might have looked the same, but the lack of technology was painfully obvious.

Next, the North set out to build Pyongyang’s
subway in 1961. This project required a lot of capital and technology from
China. But Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il claimed that the entire subway system
was created with domestic funds and technology. In the case of the
light airplanes, it may be saying it was manufactured on North Korean soil, but I would guess
that most of the key components came from Russia, though most people in the country wouldn’t know that and Kim Jong Eun can use it to bolster his “greatness.”
 

5. During his recent tour to a machinery
factory, Kim Jong Eun took a photo in that plane that they claim was made in
the North. If you take a careful look at the photo, there are many elements
that look substandard. It makes you think the plane is extremely outdated. Kim
would have been in many modernized planes but still he is proud of this
achievement it seems. Do you think he actually recognizes that it is not
something great to be proud of?
 

Even if North Korea succeeded in
domestically producing some components, the technology is rather antiquated. Building an
airplane requires cutting-edge technology–to say you’ve achieved that overnight is preposterous. Kim Jong Eun is probably fully cognizant of the substandard
level of production, but is touting North Korean technology for making it to this point. Praising the engineers spurs his political gains and underscores his accomplishments.
 

6. This love that Kim Jong Eun has toward planes is quite a different from that of his father, Kim Jong Il, who rarely took them. Why do you think they’re so different? 

Kim Jong Il hardly ever rode in planes. He flew
maybe once when he visited Indonesia in 1965 with his father, but that was
about it. He never took a plane after that point. Maybe it was acrophobia. Maybe it was the fear of becoming the target of a terror plot. After all, when
it comes to airplane accidents, the chances of dying are close to 100 percent. So, Kim Jong Il was only ever seen riding cars or taking trains to make his trips abroad. His
son, on the other hand, would have flown several times when he
studied abroad, and appears to have picked up how to operate a plane somewhere along the way–although the co-pilot likely controlled and flew the aircraft depicted in video released by North Korean state media of the young leader piloting a plane.

Kim Jong Eun is presumably both very aware of the irreplaceable service planes offer and relatively less afraid of them. He will have to
ride planes in order to do anything on the global level, so it’s not like he can refuse to fly in one forever. This is likely why he took a plane to inspect the upper atmosphere around Pyongyang. He is probably making pilots practice continually, and if he ends up
going to Russia, there’s the possibility he will take a plane. He also seems to
be interested in the maintenance of planes. In 2014, he introduced North Korea’s ‘Air Force One,’ a Russian-manufactured Ilyushin plane. In any case, it seems that Kim
Jong Eun doesn’t have harbor any phobias about planes and flying.
 

7. Kim Jong Eun sometimes takes the plane
even when traveling within North Korea. Do you think there’s a particular
reason why he does so instead of taking a train or car?
 

I think he is trying to keep the aviation
industry on its toes. If the tourism industry takes off in the future, not only
will there be international flights to Pyongyang, but also domestic flights from
Pyongyang to other regions such as Wonsan, Samjiyon, and Rasun. A lot
of this is mostly because of tourism, but I think he is trying to stir up national
interest in planes. By taking the initiative and setting an example of riding in planes, he’s trying to instill pride in those working in the aviation industry
and encourage them to work harder. The aviation industry and North Korea’s air force is weak. They do have military planes but they are usually MiG-19 or 21–extremely old models. The newest ones are MiG-29 at best, but the North only houses a few of those. The performance lags way behind South Korea and the
U.S. That’s why in general it is seems like Kim is interested in giving the aviation
industry and country’s air force a boost down the line. 
 

8. Could a terror attack aimed at a plane carrying Kim
Jong Eun be possible?

It remains unclear how often Kim will choose to take planes, but the possibility of an assassination attempt will certainly always be at the forefront of his mind. When he does fly,
he will have a number of combat planes guarding him. He will undoubtedly take every possible precaution, having all anti-aircraft missiles removed from duty below the
airspace through which he is passing.

Still, a multitude of factors always exists in these situations for something to go wrong. Fault maintenance or treacherous conditions can give way to serious problems. Or, in theory, the pilot of this plane or escorts abroad could carry out an attack against him; an attack could even be launched from the ground. Again, there are a host of variables to consider.