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Becoming Kim Jong Un: A Former CIA Officer's Insights into North Korea's Enigmatic Young Dictator
A groundbreaking account of the rise of North Korea's dictator Kim Jong Un, from his nuclear ambitions to his summits with President Donald J. Trump--from a former CIA analyst considered one of the leading American experts on the North Korean leader inside and outside the U.S. government.
When Kim Jong Un became the leader of North Korea following his father's death in 2011, predictions about his imminent fall were rife. North Korea was isolated, poor, unable to feed its people, and clinging to its nuclear program for legitimacy. Surely this twentysomething with the bizarre haircut and no leadership experience would soon be usurped by his elders. Instead the opposite happened. Now in his mid-thirties, Kim Jong Un has solidified his grip on his country and brought the U.S. and the region to the brink of war. Still, we know so little about him--or how he rules.
Enter former CIA analyst Jung Pak, whose brilliant Brookings Institution essay The Education of Kim Jong Un cemented her status as the go-to authority on the calculating young leader. From the beginning of Kim's reign, Pak has been at the forefront of shaping U.S. policy on North Korea and providing strategic assessments for leadership at the highest levels in the government, and in this masterly book, she traces and explains Kim's ascent on the world stage, from the brutal purges he carried out to consolidate his power to his abrupt pivot to diplomatic engagement that led to his historic--and still poorly understood--summits with President Trump. She also sheds light on how a top intelligence analyst assesses thorny national security problems, avoiding biases, questioning assumptions, and identifying risks as well as opportunities.
In piecing together Kim's wholly unique life, Pak argues that his personality, perceptions, and preferences are underestimated by Washington policy wonks who assume he sees the world as they do. As the North Korea nuclear threat grows, Becoming Kim Jong Un gives readers the first authoritative, behind-the-scenes look at Kim's personality and motivations, creating an insightful biography of the enigmatic man who will likely rule the Hermit Kingdom for decades--and has already left an indelible imprint on world history.
When Kim Jong Un became the leader of North Korea following his father's death in 2011, predictions about his imminent fall were rife. North Korea was isolated, poor, unable to feed its people, and clinging to its nuclear program for legitimacy. Surely this twentysomething with the bizarre haircut and no leadership experience would soon be usurped by his elders. Instead the opposite happened. Now in his mid-thirties, Kim Jong Un has solidified his grip on his country and brought the U.S. and the region to the brink of war. Still, we know so little about him--or how he rules.
Enter former CIA analyst Jung Pak, whose brilliant Brookings Institution essay The Education of Kim Jong Un cemented her status as the go-to authority on the calculating young leader. From the beginning of Kim's reign, Pak has been at the forefront of shaping U.S. policy on North Korea and providing strategic assessments for leadership at the highest levels in the government, and in this masterly book, she traces and explains Kim's ascent on the world stage, from the brutal purges he carried out to consolidate his power to his abrupt pivot to diplomatic engagement that led to his historic--and still poorly understood--summits with President Trump. She also sheds light on how a top intelligence analyst assesses thorny national security problems, avoiding biases, questioning assumptions, and identifying risks as well as opportunities.
In piecing together Kim's wholly unique life, Pak argues that his personality, perceptions, and preferences are underestimated by Washington policy wonks who assume he sees the world as they do. As the North Korea nuclear threat grows, Becoming Kim Jong Un gives readers the first authoritative, behind-the-scenes look at Kim's personality and motivations, creating an insightful biography of the enigmatic man who will likely rule the Hermit Kingdom for decades--and has already left an indelible imprint on world history.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 28, 2020
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January 27, 2023
Expected more insights and new information from a former CIA analyst. Now the book seems a rehash of news articles on the hermit kingdom, bringing little new topics to the table
Jung H. Pak tells the story of the Hermit Kingdom in an easily accessible manner but with her background in the CIA and writing briefings for the president of the US I expected more depth in Becoming Kim Jong Un: A Former CIA Officer's Insights into North Korea's Enigmatic Young Dictator.
After describing the rise of the regime and the predecessors to the current dictator, she tells the story of how North-Korea through its nuclear tests and military deterrence can offer and withdraw time and time again improvements in its handling. The case for nuclear weapons for dictators security is compelling, with the regime extracting aid again and again from the international community.
Also Chinese tourism is feeding funds into the regime, Pyongyang the capital for the elite. Coal exports to China pockets over $1b per year, and seafood sales $350m and forced labour, with North-Koreans being lended to other countries, representing $500m of income per year. The trade deficit of USD 2b with China stands against this, with overall trade of the country of 25 million being less than Malta with 500k inhabitants.
The rise of the youngest son to supreme leader of a country of 25 millions was years in the making, with his father taking a clear liking to Un his forcefulness and ruthlessness. Testament to this is 340 senior officials being purged, with methods ranging from being forced to resign to being executed with anti aircraft guns and then being incinerated by flamethrower.
A caste system, based on your family acts during the Korea war and who of your family fled supports him, with political gulags, and 3 generations being purged when "political" crimes like defection occur.
Still this feels mostly as a rehashing of news articles, you don’t get any feel how the CIA gets intelligence from the Hermit Kingdom, besides following North Korean state media.
Also the analysis is light: maybe the regime wants to appear unpredictable is one of the observations of Pak for erratic policy choices.
That is hardly a policy analysis, just a conjecture anyone could conclude about literally everything.
The views that elite loyalty is being bought by luxury goods, with consumer lifestyle becoming more prevalent (and off course underpinned by threats of prosecution and purges) is interesting.
Little however is sadly set to change in North Korea based on outside pressure, and internal dissenters have been brutally executed. With the general population being forced in obedience through control of food and the ever present threat of horrific prison camp, making this a fast but depressing book to read, and not giving much handles to the international community to change the status quo.
Jung H. Pak tells the story of the Hermit Kingdom in an easily accessible manner but with her background in the CIA and writing briefings for the president of the US I expected more depth in Becoming Kim Jong Un: A Former CIA Officer's Insights into North Korea's Enigmatic Young Dictator.
After describing the rise of the regime and the predecessors to the current dictator, she tells the story of how North-Korea through its nuclear tests and military deterrence can offer and withdraw time and time again improvements in its handling. The case for nuclear weapons for dictators security is compelling, with the regime extracting aid again and again from the international community.
Also Chinese tourism is feeding funds into the regime, Pyongyang the capital for the elite. Coal exports to China pockets over $1b per year, and seafood sales $350m and forced labour, with North-Koreans being lended to other countries, representing $500m of income per year. The trade deficit of USD 2b with China stands against this, with overall trade of the country of 25 million being less than Malta with 500k inhabitants.
The rise of the youngest son to supreme leader of a country of 25 millions was years in the making, with his father taking a clear liking to Un his forcefulness and ruthlessness. Testament to this is 340 senior officials being purged, with methods ranging from being forced to resign to being executed with anti aircraft guns and then being incinerated by flamethrower.
A caste system, based on your family acts during the Korea war and who of your family fled supports him, with political gulags, and 3 generations being purged when "political" crimes like defection occur.
Still this feels mostly as a rehashing of news articles, you don’t get any feel how the CIA gets intelligence from the Hermit Kingdom, besides following North Korean state media.
Also the analysis is light: maybe the regime wants to appear unpredictable is one of the observations of Pak for erratic policy choices.
That is hardly a policy analysis, just a conjecture anyone could conclude about literally everything.
The views that elite loyalty is being bought by luxury goods, with consumer lifestyle becoming more prevalent (and off course underpinned by threats of prosecution and purges) is interesting.
Little however is sadly set to change in North Korea based on outside pressure, and internal dissenters have been brutally executed. With the general population being forced in obedience through control of food and the ever present threat of horrific prison camp, making this a fast but depressing book to read, and not giving much handles to the international community to change the status quo.
April 13, 2020
A good read, but doesn't really cover any new ground. Most of this has been covered, many times before. North Korea still remains a mystery to the rest of the world.
January 18, 2022
Fascinating and informative book from a former CIA operative with deep knowledge of North Korea. I often object when books are partisan but when you are talking about the Kim family in general and Kim Jong Un in particular it's hard to not be partisan. Also hard to ignore is that Trump was a godsend to Jong Un who played him hard, burnished Jong Un's profile among his people and the world, and gave NK bargaining power in its diplomacy with other countries. I cannot imagine how painful and angering that was for people like Jung Pak doing the hard work of trying to protect America against North Korea. This is not editorial, its hard fact, so what feels partisan was unavoidable and therefore acceptable.
I learned a great deal from this book, and came away with a healthy respect for Jong Un. He has maintained his status as the world's most dangerous dictator though smart gamesmanship. Pak really brings home how easy it is to see him as a caricature, both because he was handed this job as a very young man with no experience and because he just looks so freaking ridiculous and has a Disney obsession like some gigantic 7 year old. She also brings home how ill-advised it is to believe that caricature. Kim Jong Un is smart, and sly, and has no conscience. There is nothing cute about him.
I also learned a lot more about multilateral relationships between South Korea, China, Japan, and the US. The information was set forth in a way that helped me better appreciate the complexities of these relationships and better understand that North Korea's possession of nuclear arms is not the only thing that impedes any normalization of relations not just between the US and NK, and that US-NK relations impact all of those countries' relationships with any other one of those countries and NK. Every bilateral dance, whether it be Trump or Moon Jae-In or any other leader who is engaging with Jong Un erodes all the other relationships in the mix.
Pak also makes what sounds to me like smart suggestions for our road forward with NK, and in doing so makes clear how important the work of the UN is, and how important it is to get the international community on the same page. Divide and conquer works for Kim Jong Un and that is bad for everyone.
The one issue I had with this book was Pak's choice of sources. This is not the type of book that should be citing as authority non-scholarly or non-official sources. There are several times Pak does this, but the most egregious were the several references to Barbara Demick's Nothing to Envy. I respect Demick, but she creates oral histories that do not fact check their tellers. This is fine, it would be impossible to check most of them and we can make our own judgments when we read her work, but when that is cited as a primary source in other books we cannot make our own judgments about their veracity or completeness. I took a half star for that, and so I am going with a round down to a 4.
I learned a great deal from this book, and came away with a healthy respect for Jong Un. He has maintained his status as the world's most dangerous dictator though smart gamesmanship. Pak really brings home how easy it is to see him as a caricature, both because he was handed this job as a very young man with no experience and because he just looks so freaking ridiculous and has a Disney obsession like some gigantic 7 year old. She also brings home how ill-advised it is to believe that caricature. Kim Jong Un is smart, and sly, and has no conscience. There is nothing cute about him.
I also learned a lot more about multilateral relationships between South Korea, China, Japan, and the US. The information was set forth in a way that helped me better appreciate the complexities of these relationships and better understand that North Korea's possession of nuclear arms is not the only thing that impedes any normalization of relations not just between the US and NK, and that US-NK relations impact all of those countries' relationships with any other one of those countries and NK. Every bilateral dance, whether it be Trump or Moon Jae-In or any other leader who is engaging with Jong Un erodes all the other relationships in the mix.
Pak also makes what sounds to me like smart suggestions for our road forward with NK, and in doing so makes clear how important the work of the UN is, and how important it is to get the international community on the same page. Divide and conquer works for Kim Jong Un and that is bad for everyone.
The one issue I had with this book was Pak's choice of sources. This is not the type of book that should be citing as authority non-scholarly or non-official sources. There are several times Pak does this, but the most egregious were the several references to Barbara Demick's Nothing to Envy. I respect Demick, but she creates oral histories that do not fact check their tellers. This is fine, it would be impossible to check most of them and we can make our own judgments when we read her work, but when that is cited as a primary source in other books we cannot make our own judgments about their veracity or completeness. I took a half star for that, and so I am going with a round down to a 4.
June 3, 2020
Originally rated this 4 stars, but then wrote my review and realized I learned a lot and that there’s a lot of good analyses in the book that expand off what you could learn on wiki with excellent lenses of thought.
As background, I don’t have in-depth knowledge about Korean history or the mythology behind North Korea’s regime, other than cursory knowledge from a background in polisci.
I found this book to be deeply interesting, part analysis, part history, part current events, especially as it systematically sets up how Kim Il Sung came to power (and the social environment that helped sustain it), to how power was passed to his son, and now to Kim Jong Un. While there’s discussion about the impact of Japanese occupation and America’s role in the Korean War (both topics not often discussed), I wonder if it might be helpful for further research into America’s interest in East Asian politics, so the impact of western interest (economic/social/political) on Asian politics and behavior), and how this also ties into the political ideologies of players around North Korea.
What I found most interesting (and relevant to extremely current events; was impressed that this book detailed as recent as January 2020) was how power was carefully staged and hinted at, in every generation of North Korean power. The analysis on Ri Sol Ju and her role as feminine foil to Kim Jong Un’s dictator role was particularly interesting, especially given that Kim Jong Un’s sister plays a critical role in his inner circle but isn’t held to that standard of feminine charm (especially relevant now as one considers what’s currently happening regarding power and foreign perception of North Korea).
The book is well written and sets the stage well for how Kim Jong Un ascended to his inherited power, and what he hopes to accomplish with it. I especially appreciated the final chapter that analyzes his goals, and how the States and other foreign players might act in order to further influence him for denuclearization (something I think he’ll cling to). Following the author now because her use of past examples, psychological mindsets, and other player perceptions was really astute, and I’m curious to know how she’ll continue to analyze the future of North Korea.
As background, I don’t have in-depth knowledge about Korean history or the mythology behind North Korea’s regime, other than cursory knowledge from a background in polisci.
I found this book to be deeply interesting, part analysis, part history, part current events, especially as it systematically sets up how Kim Il Sung came to power (and the social environment that helped sustain it), to how power was passed to his son, and now to Kim Jong Un. While there’s discussion about the impact of Japanese occupation and America’s role in the Korean War (both topics not often discussed), I wonder if it might be helpful for further research into America’s interest in East Asian politics, so the impact of western interest (economic/social/political) on Asian politics and behavior), and how this also ties into the political ideologies of players around North Korea.
What I found most interesting (and relevant to extremely current events; was impressed that this book detailed as recent as January 2020) was how power was carefully staged and hinted at, in every generation of North Korean power. The analysis on Ri Sol Ju and her role as feminine foil to Kim Jong Un’s dictator role was particularly interesting, especially given that Kim Jong Un’s sister plays a critical role in his inner circle but isn’t held to that standard of feminine charm (especially relevant now as one considers what’s currently happening regarding power and foreign perception of North Korea).
The book is well written and sets the stage well for how Kim Jong Un ascended to his inherited power, and what he hopes to accomplish with it. I especially appreciated the final chapter that analyzes his goals, and how the States and other foreign players might act in order to further influence him for denuclearization (something I think he’ll cling to). Following the author now because her use of past examples, psychological mindsets, and other player perceptions was really astute, and I’m curious to know how she’ll continue to analyze the future of North Korea.
January 12, 2024
A very interesting insight into the geopolitics of North Korea- specifically the development of the Kim Dynasty culminating in the leadership of Kim Jong University. North Korean geopolitics is a high interest topic for me and this was an absorbing, detailed, well-reasoned read.
May 16, 2020
2.4/5.0
I’ll be honest. This book is a bit of a mess.
First of all, it could have been a quarter as long without giving up any of its meaningful content. The same points are repeatedly 2-3 times within a chapter, written in a different way. And then the same points are brought up again 3 chapters later. A cynic may suspect it is because the author simply doesn’t have that many meaningful points to make. I would enumerate the examples, but it is too painful for me to repeat them again.
Second of all, 90% of the content of this book can be characterized as a summary of news footages and opinion articles on North Korea. Anyone who has paid cursory attention to North Korea is guaranteed to be bored by the illustrations of things they already know. This is exacerbated by the fact that these illustrations are repeated 4 different times.
In many instances, statements and paragraphs are jarringly misordered chronologically. For several paragraphs, Pak would be talking about the first few years of Kim Jong Un’s rule (2011-2014). And then all of a sudden she would devote a completely unrelated paragraph on DVD-smuggling in 1999, before jumping all the way to 2017 about South Korean soap operas.
I patiently endured the cacophony of North Korean trivia I already know and Pak’s random speculations (many sentences contain the phrase “Kim Jong Un most certainly…” without any explanation as to why the author makes such assertions), before I reached the conclusions of the book. This is where Pak, a former CIA operative, shares her supposed insight. This last chapter is equally disappointing as the rest of the book. What Pak says, essentially, is that Pyongyang will not agree to a peace treaty if it has to give up its nuclear weapons. And that the regime is more interested in preserving its own survival than the well-being of the North Korean people. That is as much as insight as saying “some people like pepperoni on pizza”. It’s not even an opinion. It’s just a statement that, while factual, contains no meaning.
I’ll be honest. This book is a bit of a mess.
First of all, it could have been a quarter as long without giving up any of its meaningful content. The same points are repeatedly 2-3 times within a chapter, written in a different way. And then the same points are brought up again 3 chapters later. A cynic may suspect it is because the author simply doesn’t have that many meaningful points to make. I would enumerate the examples, but it is too painful for me to repeat them again.
Second of all, 90% of the content of this book can be characterized as a summary of news footages and opinion articles on North Korea. Anyone who has paid cursory attention to North Korea is guaranteed to be bored by the illustrations of things they already know. This is exacerbated by the fact that these illustrations are repeated 4 different times.
In many instances, statements and paragraphs are jarringly misordered chronologically. For several paragraphs, Pak would be talking about the first few years of Kim Jong Un’s rule (2011-2014). And then all of a sudden she would devote a completely unrelated paragraph on DVD-smuggling in 1999, before jumping all the way to 2017 about South Korean soap operas.
I patiently endured the cacophony of North Korean trivia I already know and Pak’s random speculations (many sentences contain the phrase “Kim Jong Un most certainly…” without any explanation as to why the author makes such assertions), before I reached the conclusions of the book. This is where Pak, a former CIA operative, shares her supposed insight. This last chapter is equally disappointing as the rest of the book. What Pak says, essentially, is that Pyongyang will not agree to a peace treaty if it has to give up its nuclear weapons. And that the regime is more interested in preserving its own survival than the well-being of the North Korean people. That is as much as insight as saying “some people like pepperoni on pizza”. It’s not even an opinion. It’s just a statement that, while factual, contains no meaning.
July 22, 2022
I didn't particularly knew alot about North Korea before reading this, and after reading I don't feel like I've learned anything new either.
The book itself doesn't feel like a cohesive story. There are quite a few jumps in time in each chapter, the chapters talk about several subjects at once, some information gets repeated a few times in the book and the inconsistent use of first and last names doesn't really help to make this book a pleasant read either. The writing style is one that didn't appeal to me, as it didn't make me want to read more. It took effort to read, which takes down alot of the reading experience for me. On top of that this book didn't really taught me anything new, which felt like I wasted my time reading this.
All of this made it that the author failed to pull me into the story, and made me skim quite a bit of this book. I was quite relieved when I finally finished, which is never a good sign. I should probably have DNF'ed this instead of push through it, but DNFing book has never been something I'm good at, so here we are.
The book itself doesn't feel like a cohesive story. There are quite a few jumps in time in each chapter, the chapters talk about several subjects at once, some information gets repeated a few times in the book and the inconsistent use of first and last names doesn't really help to make this book a pleasant read either. The writing style is one that didn't appeal to me, as it didn't make me want to read more. It took effort to read, which takes down alot of the reading experience for me. On top of that this book didn't really taught me anything new, which felt like I wasted my time reading this.
All of this made it that the author failed to pull me into the story, and made me skim quite a bit of this book. I was quite relieved when I finally finished, which is never a good sign. I should probably have DNF'ed this instead of push through it, but DNFing book has never been something I'm good at, so here we are.
February 12, 2024
Wysłuchana w ramach akcji #azjatyckimiesiąc. Momentami bardzo ciekawa, ale patrząc całościowo za dużo dla mnie było Donalda Trumpa w tej książce o Kimie
June 13, 2020
Impressive Book About Kim Jong Un
I don't have much experience in North Korean politics and history. This book by Jong H. Pak helped me comprehend a lot more than previous books on the country and it's leader has. It's also engrossing and involving. I am alarmed at what the North Korean people have had to put up with and the book is very good at enlightening readers why we should all care about North Korea and this terrifying leader.
I don't have much experience in North Korean politics and history. This book by Jong H. Pak helped me comprehend a lot more than previous books on the country and it's leader has. It's also engrossing and involving. I am alarmed at what the North Korean people have had to put up with and the book is very good at enlightening readers why we should all care about North Korea and this terrifying leader.
November 22, 2020
W zasadzie 3,75, ponieważ nie przedstawia zbyt wielu nowych faktów i nie rzuca nowego światła na północnokoreański reżim, ale jest dobrym, uporządkowanym reportażem, w którym w zrozumiały sposób podsumowano wszystko to, co już o Kimie wiemy.
August 5, 2020
Toen Kim Jong-un in december 2011 zijn vader opvolgde, was er nauwelijks iets bekend over de piepjonge nieuwe Noord-Koreaanse dictator. Hij had in Zwitserland gestudeerd en leek qua uiterlijk het evenbeeld van zijn opa Kim Il-sung – dat was het wel. Dat weerhield analisten er niet van de ene na de andere voorspelling te doen over Noord-Korea onder de destijds 27-jarige viersterrengeneraal. Het regime zou binnen een jaar imploderen, Kim zou een marionet worden onder machtigere oudgedienden of juist als een in Europa geschoolde millennial de stalinistische dictatuur hervormen.
Hoe deze voorspellingen ontstonden en hoe anders het uiteindelijk zou lopen zet de voormalige CIA-analiste Jung H. Pak uitstekend uiteen in haar biografie Hoe je Kim Jong-un wordt. Pak hield jarenlang Noord-Korea en Kim Jong-un (1984) nauwlettend in de gaten voor de Amerikaanse inlichtingendienst. Ze belicht in haar werk veel vooroordelen en valkuilen die optreden wanneer het om Noord-Korea gaat. Het boek is in zekere zin ook een geschiedenis van de beeldvorming van het Noord-Koreaanse leiderschap, van irrationeel en onvoorspelbaar naar zeer calculerend en machiavellistisch.
Pak laat overtuigend zien hoe veel analisten de jonge Kim onderschat hebben. De leider maakte met het zuiveren van zijn machtige oom Jang Song-thaek in 2013 en met het vermoorden van zijn halfbroer Kim Jong-nam op de luchthaven in Kuala Lumpur in 2017 al snel duidelijk wie de baas was. Daarnaast voltooide hij de droom van zijn vader: in 2017 testte hij zowel een waterstofbom als een ballistische raket die het Amerikaanse vasteland kan bereiken. Met deze wapens heeft het regime zich ervan verzekerd dat het nooit zoals Irak door een buitenlandse invasie zal worden afgezet.
Zuiveringen en de ontwikkeling van massavernietigingswapens waren al terugkerende thema’s in het oeuvre van Kim Il-sung (die regeerde van 1945 tot 1994) en Kim Jong-il (aan de macht van 1994 tot 2011). Het boek betoogt echter dat Kim Jong-un meer probeert te zijn dan uitsluitend de derde lichting in de Kim-dynastie, en een eigen stijl van leiderschap en beleid nastreeft. Dat wordt nogal eens over het hoofd gezien, omdat Noord-Koreaanse leiders vaak als karikaturen worden neergezet.
Pak toont aan dat Kim Jong-un veel heeft geïnvesteerd in een nieuw soort wapen: cyberoorlogvoering. Die wordt niet alleen ingezet om Sony een hak te zetten na het uitbrengen van de spottende comedy The Interview, maar ook om banken te hacken en cryptovaluta te minen en te stelen. Ook probeert de derde Kim los te komen van de geriatrische entourage waar zijn voorgangers op leunden. Hij laat zien dat jeugd een deugd kan zijn, daarmee indruisend tegen een maatschappij die leeftijd en ervaring al eeuwen prijst.
De afgelopen jaren werd op zijn instigatie een reeks moderne gebouwen en wolkenkrabbers gebouwd in Pyong-yang, in een wijk die informeel wel eens ‘Pyonghattan’ wordt genoemd. Hoewel bijna de helft van de Noord-Koreanen nog altijd kampt met armoede en voedseltekorten, is in de hoofdstad een consumptiemaatschappij aangejaagd waarin Noord-Koreanen pronken met smartphones (met uitsluitend toegang tot een intern intranet) en andere luxeproducten.
Deze culturele modernisering en dit aanjagen van de economie gaat geenszins gepaard met verruiming van burgerrechten of inperken van politieke repressie, maar is wel een manier voor Kim Jong-un om een eigen stempel op het land te drukken.
Pak schrijft zakelijk, vlot en gestructureerd. Ze blijft weg van de op sensatie beluste onzin die vaak opduikt zodra het om de Kims gaat. Het boek stoelt op een brede selectie aan betrouwbaar bronmateriaal, iets wat niet vanzelfsprekend is voor een werk over Noord-Korea. Na het lezen van Hoe je Kim Jong-un wordt heb je een volledig beeld van hoe Kim Jong-un is gevormd als politiek leider – hoewel zijn privéleven op wat anekdotes over copieuze diners en dure jachten na een mysterie blijft.
(Een versie van deze recensie verscheen ook in NRC Handelsblad)
Hoe deze voorspellingen ontstonden en hoe anders het uiteindelijk zou lopen zet de voormalige CIA-analiste Jung H. Pak uitstekend uiteen in haar biografie Hoe je Kim Jong-un wordt. Pak hield jarenlang Noord-Korea en Kim Jong-un (1984) nauwlettend in de gaten voor de Amerikaanse inlichtingendienst. Ze belicht in haar werk veel vooroordelen en valkuilen die optreden wanneer het om Noord-Korea gaat. Het boek is in zekere zin ook een geschiedenis van de beeldvorming van het Noord-Koreaanse leiderschap, van irrationeel en onvoorspelbaar naar zeer calculerend en machiavellistisch.
Pak laat overtuigend zien hoe veel analisten de jonge Kim onderschat hebben. De leider maakte met het zuiveren van zijn machtige oom Jang Song-thaek in 2013 en met het vermoorden van zijn halfbroer Kim Jong-nam op de luchthaven in Kuala Lumpur in 2017 al snel duidelijk wie de baas was. Daarnaast voltooide hij de droom van zijn vader: in 2017 testte hij zowel een waterstofbom als een ballistische raket die het Amerikaanse vasteland kan bereiken. Met deze wapens heeft het regime zich ervan verzekerd dat het nooit zoals Irak door een buitenlandse invasie zal worden afgezet.
Zuiveringen en de ontwikkeling van massavernietigingswapens waren al terugkerende thema’s in het oeuvre van Kim Il-sung (die regeerde van 1945 tot 1994) en Kim Jong-il (aan de macht van 1994 tot 2011). Het boek betoogt echter dat Kim Jong-un meer probeert te zijn dan uitsluitend de derde lichting in de Kim-dynastie, en een eigen stijl van leiderschap en beleid nastreeft. Dat wordt nogal eens over het hoofd gezien, omdat Noord-Koreaanse leiders vaak als karikaturen worden neergezet.
Pak toont aan dat Kim Jong-un veel heeft geïnvesteerd in een nieuw soort wapen: cyberoorlogvoering. Die wordt niet alleen ingezet om Sony een hak te zetten na het uitbrengen van de spottende comedy The Interview, maar ook om banken te hacken en cryptovaluta te minen en te stelen. Ook probeert de derde Kim los te komen van de geriatrische entourage waar zijn voorgangers op leunden. Hij laat zien dat jeugd een deugd kan zijn, daarmee indruisend tegen een maatschappij die leeftijd en ervaring al eeuwen prijst.
De afgelopen jaren werd op zijn instigatie een reeks moderne gebouwen en wolkenkrabbers gebouwd in Pyong-yang, in een wijk die informeel wel eens ‘Pyonghattan’ wordt genoemd. Hoewel bijna de helft van de Noord-Koreanen nog altijd kampt met armoede en voedseltekorten, is in de hoofdstad een consumptiemaatschappij aangejaagd waarin Noord-Koreanen pronken met smartphones (met uitsluitend toegang tot een intern intranet) en andere luxeproducten.
Deze culturele modernisering en dit aanjagen van de economie gaat geenszins gepaard met verruiming van burgerrechten of inperken van politieke repressie, maar is wel een manier voor Kim Jong-un om een eigen stempel op het land te drukken.
Pak schrijft zakelijk, vlot en gestructureerd. Ze blijft weg van de op sensatie beluste onzin die vaak opduikt zodra het om de Kims gaat. Het boek stoelt op een brede selectie aan betrouwbaar bronmateriaal, iets wat niet vanzelfsprekend is voor een werk over Noord-Korea. Na het lezen van Hoe je Kim Jong-un wordt heb je een volledig beeld van hoe Kim Jong-un is gevormd als politiek leider – hoewel zijn privéleven op wat anekdotes over copieuze diners en dure jachten na een mysterie blijft.
(Een versie van deze recensie verscheen ook in NRC Handelsblad)
May 11, 2022
A former CIA officer, the author paints a comprehensive backdrop of the history of one of the world's most powerful and corrupt nations. Whether you're highly versed in the history of the Korean peninsula, or just have a basic understanding, the author provides enough contextual background information adjacent to covert intelligence to keep both types of readers engaged and entertained.
The Kim regime has been known to only let the public see what they want of them when they want them to see it. Likewise, Kim Jung Un has remained elusive, yet eager to be seen in the public eye when it benefits him. Growing up under an alias at a private school in Switzerland, the young Kim Jung Un took over his father's empire at the ripe age of 27. His father and grandfather were striving to unify the Korean peninsula once again, and this is seen to be Kim's ultimate and paramount goal, aside to his dynastic- and self-preservation. Kim is only confirmed to have 1 child, but 2 others are suspected from intelligence in South Korea.
Defectors of the ideology are punished to the nth degree: 'Intergenerational imprisonment and punishment was required because "their [relatives of defectors] seed must be eliminated through three generations."' There are two types of prisons in North Korea: political prisons and reeducation camps. Any offense deemed "anti-state" would cause a citizen, or non-citizen, to be imprisoned. We have seen multiple examples of Americans being imprisoned such as the student Otto for taking down a poster, and a man for leaving a Bible in a restaurant. Border patrol has only gotten tighter since COVID-19, and people willingly risk their lives knowing there's only a fraction of hope for a successful escape. To them, it's still better than living in squalor eating tree bark and roadkill to survive.
Then there were the Twitter battles between Trump and Kim. Their brazen and alarming tweets coupled with their lacking anger management resolve had the world on edge, constantly refreshing the Twitter homepage to read the tweet that would mean lights out. Then 2018 happened.
Following a series of meetings between Trump and Kim, promising handshakes, and seemingly swell conversations, sitting president Trump left the summit with a bullish trust of Kim's "word" on taking steps to denuclearize. In the end, we were left with the status quo, and Kim's absolute, adamant reluctance to take an iota of a step away from his pet project.
The author's insights on the metastasis moving forward include using external pressure to increase the domestic costs for Him. We want Kim to realize nuclear weapons are a greater threat to his rule and dynastic preservation than an asset. Denuclearization of the peninsula has been a longtime goal of the United States. To do this, the author advises we strategize and implement ways to choke off North Korea's ability to generate revenue for the regime and development of their nuclear weapons.
According to the former director of national intelligence, James Clapper, the US should invest in information dissemination programs in North Korea. He lamented that we had a limited means to satisfy the North Korean's "hunger for information."
Further, "access to more information gives North Korean people the agency, self-determination, and knowledge to write their own future and destiny as a nation."
These ideas are great in theory, but in practice we know it's almost impossible to get any information over there. I would've liked to hear more practical ideas on how to enable educational information to the people of North Korea, as self education and access to information are crucial to human evolution, and would be the necessary first step for a path towards a brighter future.
The Kim regime has been known to only let the public see what they want of them when they want them to see it. Likewise, Kim Jung Un has remained elusive, yet eager to be seen in the public eye when it benefits him. Growing up under an alias at a private school in Switzerland, the young Kim Jung Un took over his father's empire at the ripe age of 27. His father and grandfather were striving to unify the Korean peninsula once again, and this is seen to be Kim's ultimate and paramount goal, aside to his dynastic- and self-preservation. Kim is only confirmed to have 1 child, but 2 others are suspected from intelligence in South Korea.
Defectors of the ideology are punished to the nth degree: 'Intergenerational imprisonment and punishment was required because "their [relatives of defectors] seed must be eliminated through three generations."' There are two types of prisons in North Korea: political prisons and reeducation camps. Any offense deemed "anti-state" would cause a citizen, or non-citizen, to be imprisoned. We have seen multiple examples of Americans being imprisoned such as the student Otto for taking down a poster, and a man for leaving a Bible in a restaurant. Border patrol has only gotten tighter since COVID-19, and people willingly risk their lives knowing there's only a fraction of hope for a successful escape. To them, it's still better than living in squalor eating tree bark and roadkill to survive.
Then there were the Twitter battles between Trump and Kim. Their brazen and alarming tweets coupled with their lacking anger management resolve had the world on edge, constantly refreshing the Twitter homepage to read the tweet that would mean lights out. Then 2018 happened.
Following a series of meetings between Trump and Kim, promising handshakes, and seemingly swell conversations, sitting president Trump left the summit with a bullish trust of Kim's "word" on taking steps to denuclearize. In the end, we were left with the status quo, and Kim's absolute, adamant reluctance to take an iota of a step away from his pet project.
The author's insights on the metastasis moving forward include using external pressure to increase the domestic costs for Him. We want Kim to realize nuclear weapons are a greater threat to his rule and dynastic preservation than an asset. Denuclearization of the peninsula has been a longtime goal of the United States. To do this, the author advises we strategize and implement ways to choke off North Korea's ability to generate revenue for the regime and development of their nuclear weapons.
According to the former director of national intelligence, James Clapper, the US should invest in information dissemination programs in North Korea. He lamented that we had a limited means to satisfy the North Korean's "hunger for information."
Further, "access to more information gives North Korean people the agency, self-determination, and knowledge to write their own future and destiny as a nation."
These ideas are great in theory, but in practice we know it's almost impossible to get any information over there. I would've liked to hear more practical ideas on how to enable educational information to the people of North Korea, as self education and access to information are crucial to human evolution, and would be the necessary first step for a path towards a brighter future.
February 27, 2021
Jeżeli chodzi o wiadomości dotyczące Korei Północnej i analizę sytuacji, to jest to perełka. Zdecydowanie jedna z najlepszych pozycji, chociaż oczywiście nie czytałam wszystkich. Bardzo ciekawa książka przybliżająca nam historię i działania KRLD, od Kim Ir Sena po Kim Dzong Una. Ostatnie rozdziały już są bardziej analizą co może się wydarzyć, itp.
Mam jeden zarzut. Nie podoba mi się tytuł, ponieważ wcale nie dotyczy treści, owszem, jest tam dużo o Kim Dzong Unie, ale nie jako nim samym - tego jest mało, więcej jest w kontekście jego osoby pojawiającej się jako przewodniczący kraju. Dlatego tytuł może być trochę mylący, dużo więcej można wynieść o KDU z książki "Wielki Następca", która ostatecznie podobała mi się trochę bardziej, była lżej napisana, ale też nakierowana na coś innego, tutaj mamy naprawdę fajną dawkę wiedzy, która dla laików może być pomocna. Chętnie sprawiłabym ją sobie na regał.
Mam jeden zarzut. Nie podoba mi się tytuł, ponieważ wcale nie dotyczy treści, owszem, jest tam dużo o Kim Dzong Unie, ale nie jako nim samym - tego jest mało, więcej jest w kontekście jego osoby pojawiającej się jako przewodniczący kraju. Dlatego tytuł może być trochę mylący, dużo więcej można wynieść o KDU z książki "Wielki Następca", która ostatecznie podobała mi się trochę bardziej, była lżej napisana, ale też nakierowana na coś innego, tutaj mamy naprawdę fajną dawkę wiedzy, która dla laików może być pomocna. Chętnie sprawiłabym ją sobie na regał.
August 30, 2022
Recently I've been reading some other books about North Korea and I was surprised to hear that this one was referencing them. The book was written by a CIA analyst and it shows in its rather dry style but it's interesting and informative, giving a good overview of Korean history, some cliff notes on the entire Kim dynasty, before focusing on the main subject. I still don't know if he should be considered a moron or a genius, but definitely a person not to be underestimated. There is a whole chapter (two in fact) regarding him playing Trump like a fiddle, though I think there even more could have been there.
Definitely a good book.
Definitely a good book.
September 13, 2023
A good history of Kim Jong Un and his power over North Korea, but interestingly coming at it from an analyst’s perspective to try and get into the mind of the dictator and understand his reasons for doing things.
Was also useful for understanding the mindset of the North Koreans in terms of relations with the US and denuclearisation, as well as posing interesting questions as to where the relationship can go from here.
Was also useful for understanding the mindset of the North Koreans in terms of relations with the US and denuclearisation, as well as posing interesting questions as to where the relationship can go from here.
January 22, 2023
dosyć ciężka, dla mocno zainteresowanych tematem
3.5
3.5
March 28, 2024
Bardzo rzeczowy reportaż, z którego dowiedziałam się masy ciekawych rzeczy, o których nie miałam pojęcia. Jeśli kogoś, tak jak mnie, interesuje temat Korei północnej to myślę, że warto się z tą książką zapoznać.
March 21, 2021
Very interesting book. This was a Goodreads win. I really wanted to learn more about the Korean issues we have, but thought it might be boring. It was really quite interesting and I now know so much more about our relations with North Korea.
September 25, 2021
Becoming Kim Jong Un
offered some interesting information about the history of North Korea and Kim Jung Un's upbringing and dictatorship.
Although much of the background information wasn't new to me (the book quoted excerpts from many books and articles that I've already read), I still found most of it quite interesting. I was particularly interested in the parts that discussed North Korea's relationship with other countries, and in the careful analysis of Kim's decision making and behaviour.
For me though, the most interesting part of the book was the second half, which was essentially about Kim Jung Un vs. Donald Trump. I felt like the second half of the book criticized Trump more than it did Kim. The pissing match between Trump and Kim was both funny and terrifying.
*** #18 of my 2021 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge - Read a book by/about a non-Western world leader ***
Although much of the background information wasn't new to me (the book quoted excerpts from many books and articles that I've already read), I still found most of it quite interesting. I was particularly interested in the parts that discussed North Korea's relationship with other countries, and in the careful analysis of Kim's decision making and behaviour.
For me though, the most interesting part of the book was the second half, which was essentially about Kim Jung Un vs. Donald Trump. I felt like the second half of the book criticized Trump more than it did Kim. The pissing match between Trump and Kim was both funny and terrifying.
*** #18 of my 2021 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge - Read a book by/about a non-Western world leader ***
September 29, 2020
Almost all books about North Korea are enjoyable for me. This one was too. The current-ness of the book made it more
July 5, 2021
Doesn’t cover a ton of new ground, but worth reading for its analysis of the Trump-Kim relationship and summits.
July 10, 2021
I know little about North Korea and the Kim family, especially the current leader Kim Jong Un much beyond the sensational headlines such as the reaction to The Interview and ridicule in Team America so I really enjoyed learning more especially from someone with the credentials of Jung H Pak. The book was very well researched, drawing on and citing several resources. It was interesting to learn how the dynasty began and how Kim Jong Un is molding the position of leader as his own in a very different world from his grandfather's. It is hard to accept the human rights issues and continued nuclear threat in North Korea to give too much slack but so helpful to have some analysis and study as to where Kim Jong Un is coming from and perhaps going?
The book is more analysis than narrative which has its pros and cons. Overall it is a solid learning experience.
The book is more analysis than narrative which has its pros and cons. Overall it is a solid learning experience.
January 7, 2025
A very high-level history of Kim Jong Un and his rule. There is little in here that will be new to anyone who already had a passing interest in North Korea.
There is remarkably little evidence of Pak's past as a CIA intelligence analyst, and 80% of the content is recycled news articles from the last fifteen years. There's no description or explanation of how the US intelligence community gathers, interprets or analyses information other than swallowing wholesale the publications of NK state media.
Even the final chapter, which offers a few strategy proposals, is fairly flimsy and doesn't offer much support for the suggested approaches.
There is remarkably little evidence of Pak's past as a CIA intelligence analyst, and 80% of the content is recycled news articles from the last fifteen years. There's no description or explanation of how the US intelligence community gathers, interprets or analyses information other than swallowing wholesale the publications of NK state media.
Even the final chapter, which offers a few strategy proposals, is fairly flimsy and doesn't offer much support for the suggested approaches.
March 6, 2023
A really thorough analysis of North Korea and the Kim family from a National Security perspective. It is not a spy thriller or any Hollywood version of CIA, but instead a well researched thoughtful book from an analyst. I learned a learned a lot from this book and definitely recommend to people wanting to get a fuller picture of the geopolitical issues surrounding North Korea and more specifically what we can expect from Kim Jong Un going forward.
April 23, 2025
Solid book - The last 75 pages to me were the best as there is some very good “cia type” game theory analysis of Kim’s thoughts and actions during trump 1 - particularly how Kim appeared to be navigating south Korea, china, Russia and Japan jn addition to the US at once - very interesting.
One observation is that lot of books other info - prior to the last 75 pages - came from books that I surprisingly have already read.
One observation is that lot of books other info - prior to the last 75 pages - came from books that I surprisingly have already read.
August 15, 2025
Plus za ciekawą tematykę, bo uwielbiam zagadnienia dotyczące Korei Północnej i dość przyjemnie czytało mi się tę książkę. Ogromny natomiast minus za stronniczość autorki, której ciężko wyjść poza amerykański pryzmat postrzegania świata.
December 19, 2020
4,5 ⭐
February 26, 2021
Zamysł był ciekawy, ale forma niestety mnie nudziła.
July 9, 2021
Kirjahan on liki spekulaatiota, koska tuskin kukaan tietä lopullista totuutta. Muutamia mielenkiintoisia näkökulmia, joskin aina pohdittava, oliko tässä CIA-lasit päässä.
Kannataa selata vähintäänkin läpi, tulevaisuus näyttää mikä on totuus tästä kaverista.
Kannataa selata vähintäänkin läpi, tulevaisuus näyttää mikä on totuus tästä kaverista.
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