Analyzing the Structure of the North Korean Leader Myth and Creating the Kim Jong Un Myth
0
조회
0
다운로드
1
인용
0
참고문헌
키워드
초록
Unlike the political mythologies of other nations, which mainly use symbolic means, the myths of North Korean leaders were completed through stories. Taking note of the fact, the research for this paper focused on the North Korean leaders’ myths in story-telling formats. The myth of the leader in North Korea first came into existence in 1967 as a history book. Analyzing the myth according to the structural myth theory, one can discern five steps to the North Korean myth. Comparing the structure of the North Korean leader myth to those of other Korean myths and of Joseph Campbell’s conception of myths, one sees that they have commonalities as myth and differences as a political mythology. The mythical structures of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il myths are matched except that the Kim Jong Il myth lacks dramatic effects as the figures who helped the leader to overcome hardships are unclear in phase four. The Kim Jong Il myth particularly omits the winning part in the final stage. For this reason, the citizens shifted the blame of the Arduous March only to Kim Jong Il, though it was the joint responsibility of both Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung. As the founding myth, the Kim Il Sung myth has supported the rule of Kim Jong Un by performing such instrumental functions as to make North Koreans accept the hereditary succession through justification of the hereditary power transfer system, explain the North’s economic difficulties, and provide directions to overcome them, but it also has negative effects. Therefore, in order for Kim Jong Un to succeed in maintaining his regime, he must be able to bring about a myth of his own. There are several difficulties to matching a potential Kim Jong Un myth to the mythical structure of Kim Il Sung’s. In particular, if the Kim Jong Un myth should be completed, the new leader would have to actualize economic growth through reform and opening up. But achieving the goal is not going to be easy.
Abstract
Unlike the political mythologies of other nations, which mainly use symbolic means, the myths of North Korean leaders were completed through stories. Taking note of the fact, the research for this paper focused on the North Korean leaders’ myths in story-telling formats. The myth of the leader in North Korea first came into existence in 1967 as a history book. Analyzing the myth according to the structural myth theory, one can discern five steps to the North Korean myth. Comparing the structure of the North Korean leader myth to those of other Korean myths and of Joseph Campbell’s conception of myths, one sees that they have commonalities as myth and differences as a political mythology. The mythical structures of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il myths are matched except that the Kim Jong Il myth lacks dramatic effects as the figures who helped the leader to overcome hardships are unclear in phase four. The Kim Jong Il myth particularly omits the winning part in the final stage. For this reason, the citizens shifted the blame of the Arduous March only to Kim Jong Il, though it was the joint responsibility of both Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung. As the founding myth, the Kim Il Sung myth has supported the rule of Kim Jong Un by performing such instrumental functions as to make North Koreans accept the hereditary succession through justification of the hereditary power transfer system, explain the North’s economic difficulties, and provide directions to overcome them, but it also has negative effects. Therefore, in order for Kim Jong Un to succeed in maintaining his regime, he must be able to bring about a myth of his own. There are several difficulties to matching a potential Kim Jong Un myth to the mythical structure of Kim Il Sung’s. In particular, if the Kim Jong Un myth should be completed, the new leader would have to actualize economic growth through reform and opening up. But achieving the goal is not going to be easy.
참고문헌 (20)
- "Deng Xiaoping, Responding to the Word of Kim Il Sung ‘Will Overcome Economic Difficulties by Breeding Quails" (2014)[URL]
- Campbell, Joseph, "The Power of Myth" (2011), Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
- Campbell, Joseph, "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" (2008), New World Library
- Cho, Dong Il, "Stories of Folk Heroes" (1992), Literary Publishing
- Cho, Ki Chun, "Mt. Baekdu" (1989), Silcheon Munhaksa
- Jung, Min Sub, "A Comparative Study of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il’s Idolization Policies", Ph.D, pp.2014
- Kee, Kwang Seo, "North Korean Policy of the Soviet Union during 1945-1947 represented in the Documents of Russian Archives", Journal of History and Culture, 29 (2005), Institute of History and Culture, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
- Kim, Eun Ju, "Lives of North Korean Women" (2014), Korean Institute for Women and Politics
- Kim, Jong Hoe, "Understanding North Korean Literature 1" (1999), Bronze Mirror
- Kim, Jong Il, "Kim Jong Il Anthology Vol. 13" (1998), Workers’ Party of Korea Press
- Kim, Kyung Ho, "Kim Il-Sung’s Regime and Political Legend", The Korean Civic Ethics Review, 18 (2005)
- Lee, Jung Gu, "The features and Significance of Creation of Poet Cho Ki Chun—As a Part of Studying Cho Ki Chun in Commemoration of the First-Year Anniversary of His Death", Art & Literature (1952)
- Park, Ji Hyang, "Making Heroes" (2005), Humanists
- "The Ardent Patriot Who Loved His Country and Homeland", Rodong Sinmun. 17 June 1998, ~ (1998)
- 2014 Changes of the North Korean Society and the Public Consciousness, "Seoul National University Institute for Peace and Unification", ~ (2014)
- The History and Structure of Asian Mythology 44, "Song, Ki Jung", Research Achievements of National Research Foundation of Korea. Seoul National University, ~ (2000)
- Assessment and Research on the Effects of North Korea’s Cult of Personality and Political Socialization, "Suh, Jae Jin", Korea Institute for National Unification, ~ (2003)
- Tudor, Henry, "Political Myths" (1994), Sammun Publishing
- Yee, Ji Sun, "On the Ideological Analysis of Discourse in the North Korean Poetry", Ph.D, pp.2005
- Yi, Hyo In, "A Study of North Korean Movies Devoted to Creating the Great Leader Image—Focusing on Mythical Structures in the Series Stars of Joseon and the Series Sun of the Nation", Ph.D, pp.2001