 Images of Kim Jong Un at a young age utilized in various state-run media for propaganda purposes. Image: Korean Central Television (KCTV) |
In order to consolidate his legitimacy as a
descendant of the Mt. Baekdu bloodline and third generation ruler of the Kim
Dynasty, the regime is trying to stimulate the public’s adoration for Kim Jong
Un, but inside sources are reporting that school students do not even consider
Kim Jong Un to be a real leader.
“Ever since Kim Jong Un rose to power,
North Korean students dramatically reduced their usage of the word ‘loyalty.’
Because the residents receive zero tangible benefits from the regime, their
feeling of loyalty or appreciation is virtually nonexistent,” a source in South
Pyongan reported to Daily NK on October 2nd.
This trend was cross-checked with an
additional source in North Pyongan Province.
She added, “In years past, residents were a
bit more susceptible to feelings of fondness resulting from the deification of
North Korean leaders, but that effect has disappeared for the present
generation. The students don’t blame or resent Kim Jong Un, they simply regard
him as a man with high status. They are just not very interested in him.”
Students even display a lukewarm reaction
to the way that Kim Jong Un is portrayed in documentary films.
“The students giggle and sneer when they
watch propaganda documentaries that brag that, at the tender age of three, Kim
Jong Un was able to spell difficult words like Kwangmyeongseong Changa
(‘hopeful paean’),” she asserted.
“They also say things like: ‘I’d rather
watch a home movie than this!’”
KCNA, North Korea’s state news outlet,
concentrates on promoting the idea that juche (North Korean ideal meaning
‘virtue through self reliance’) is based on the Kim family and therefore the
country’s success depends on Kim Jong Un. There are countless efforts to
inspire loyalty with attempts like this, but the excessive nature of the
propaganda is inadvertently having the opposite effect, according to the
source.
“The content of the propaganda material is
so unrealistic. Practically no one buys into it these days. In the past,
political interactions were secret and mysterious, but these days everyone
knows that a bribe is the only thing that makes the authorities do their job.
That’s when people began to think that even ’The Marshal’ Kim Jong Un is just
a regular guy,’” she explained.
“That’s why residents, and students
especially, continue to confidently watch illegal South Korean movies and
dramas despite crackdowns by the regime. Small cracks are emerging on the
regime’s iron tight grip on society and the younger generation is exhibiting
significant differences in their mentality.”
