# Praise for Kim Jong-il **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 24, 2010, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328 "2010-06-24T05:30:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/1 "2010-06-24T05:30:49Z")
Several seminars were held on two continents last week extolling the virtues of the Dear Leader. An overview is [here](http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2010/201006/news21/20100621-01ee.html). Brings a tear to me jaded eye. _sniff_ ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/2 "2010-06-24T05:43:34Z")
Whoa. Them’s some weighty accolades, all right. I wish a speedy death to the Dear Leader, but who would take his place? God help the people of North Korea. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/3 "2010-06-24T05:50:26Z")
> [@Savannah](#): > > God help the people of North Korea. Wow, there’s so many possible jokes here, I’ll go with 2: 1. Yeah, trading one mystical figure for another can’t possibly hurt! 2. According to North Korea, God is already helping them. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/4 "2010-06-24T05:58:52Z")
When’s his birthday? I want to send him a card and add my congratulations. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/5 "2010-06-24T15:57:14Z")
How is it possible that someone so young can accomplish so much? hh ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/6 "2010-06-24T17:04:05Z")
I actually read about that on the North Korean News Agency site. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/7 "2010-06-24T17:05:29Z")
And, now, being dumb, I realize that is what you linked to. My bad. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/8 "2010-06-24T19:12:57Z")
Finland?!? ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/9 "2010-06-24T19:50:06Z")
You can get more breathless headlines from the [Korean Central News Agency](http://www.kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm). They don’t even TRY to make it sound unlike 1930’s propaganda, such as “Japan, Accomplice of US in Preparation of Korean War” or “S. Korean Minister of Unification’s Outbursts Blasted.” ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/10 "2010-06-24T20:05:43Z")
A few years back, I read a series of essays by a Russian who lived in North Korea for a while. He said that in true commie fashion, history was rewritten to feature the Dear Leader taking place in an epic battle that actually occurred when he was about 6 or so… #3 son is supposedly the heir apparent, but he’s young - mid 20s I think. So I expect when Dad kicks, the existing political machine will continue to rule. I feel so sorry for the citizens of that country. Their Dear Leader is truly a whacko. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/11 "2010-06-24T20:11:22Z")
OMG! If you change just a handful of names around you get a mirror of World Net Daily! ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/12 "2010-06-24T20:51:17Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > #3 son is supposedly the heir apparent, but he’s young - mid 20s I think. So I expect when Dad kicks, the existing political machine will continue to rule. Kim Jong-Un is expected to take over when Dad kicks. From what I’ve read, Chang Sung-Taek, Kim Jong-il’s brother-in-law, will really be the one in charge. Chang is currently Vice-Chairman of the National Defence Commission, a position considered second only to Kim Jong-Il. There is some question about Dear Leader’s health, both physically and mentally (well, outside of North Korea there are some questions at least), and some say Chang is already running things behind the scenes. When Dad kicks, Kim Jong-Un will likely just become the head puppet in charge, and Chang and the rest of his political machine will continue running the country. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/13 "2010-06-25T03:27:41Z")
From Wikipedia: **"Soviet records show that Kim Jong-il was born in the village of Vyatskoye, near Khabarovsk, in 1941, where his father, Kim Il-sung, commanded the 1st Battalion of the Soviet 88th Brigade, made up of Chinese and Korean exiles … Kim Jong-il’s official biography states that he was born in a secret military camp on Baekdu Mountain in Japanese-occupied Korea on 16 February 1942. Official biographers claim that his birth at Baekdu Mountain was foretold by a swallow, and heralded by the appearance of a double rainbow over the mountain and a new star in the heavens."** I also seem to recall that when Dad died, some mountain twisted itself around in grief. All I know is during times of trouble, I always ask myself: “What would Kim do?” ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/14 "2010-06-26T03:50:38Z")
I’d love to see a KCNA style guide. There has to be one, considering their bombastic style. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/15 "2010-06-26T03:58:53Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > When Dad kicks, Kim Jong-Un will likely just become the head puppet in charge, and Chang and the rest of his political machine will continue running the country. The same theory was espoused when the elderliest Kim was in the process of kicking off, and his head puppet son turned out to be the one in charge. _shrug_ We’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/16 "2010-06-26T05:19:36Z")
Personally, I think it’s about time that little troll [disappeared](http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/24/2936414.htm). Break out the sharks that shoot laser beams. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/17 "2010-06-26T05:41:02Z")
Aussie newspaper The Illawarra Mercury for the World Cup did a cover with locals dressed in the style of their country of birth. There was one notable absentee country: [We Are the World](http://www.picselate.com/oh-herro) ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/18 "2010-06-26T05:47:35Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Personally, I think it’s about time that little troll [disappeared](http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/24/2936414.htm). Break out the sharks that shoot laser beams. Hey, you’ve got to give the guy a little credit for that one. I mean, it takes some balls to demand $65,000,000,000,000.00…that’s only about equal to the total amount of money (M3) on the entire planet… But really, who else to better shepherd our collective wealth than the Dear Leader? ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/19 "2010-06-26T06:42:49Z")
\*Finnish National Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea Bangladesh Barisal Society for the Study of Songun Policy\* Damn, where do I sign up?! I bet they have some kick-ass Hanukkah parties. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328/20 "2010-06-26T07:18:25Z")
May be a death watch on for Kim. CNN reports [a transition may be made soon](http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/06/26/north.korea.meeting/index.html?hpt=T2&fbid=_iNozq6FwH4), plus BBC TV is saying rumors of increasingly failing health are growing and that even the North Korean public in general now know he suffered a stroke before. At least he has entertainment value. The ruling Burmese junta is every bit as evil as Kim but not the least bit entertaining. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/praise-for-kim-jong-il/544328.md?page=2)