Reading between Kim Jong-un’s lines
Published: 01 May. 2012, 18:24
To keep up with the schedule, the launch time was set based on a political agenda, not a scientific one. Less than two minutes after the launch, the ballistic missile loaded with the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite exploded in the air and fell into the Yellow Sea. It was a spectacular failure that sent the North Korean regime crashing along with its space program.
But the biggest surprise of all came after the explosion. Without much delay, the North Korean authorities acknowledged the failure. We all predicted that Pyongyang would publicize it as a success even if the project went awry, but the prediction was proven wrong. The space show was planned to be the highlight of the celebration of Kim Il Sung’s 100th birthday. While it ended in a fiasco, chaos was rarely spotted in the aftermath. Kim Jong-un held his composure and calmly went up to the podium for a formal military inspection. He then gave his first public speech. According to University of Georgia Professor Park Han-shik, an expert in North Korean affairs who attended the event, everyone at the military parade was surprised by the unannounced address.
The verbose 20-minute speech was full of elaborate and ornate words and phrases, but if you dissect each sentence, you can find notable expressions and significant messages. Naturally, Kim Jong-un’s speech focused on the North’s “military-first” policy. He claimed that the army needs to take the lead in establishing a prosperous country and a powerful socialist state. The revolution should also be led by the military, he said. The address vividly illustrated that the basis of the Kim Jong-un regime would remain a militaristic one. But the touted phrase “Strong and Prosperous Nation” was not mentioned at all.
For years, Pyongyang has been publicizing 2012 as the first year of the ascension of a “Strong and Prosperous Nation.” However, in the first address given by its new leader, the phrase was replaced with other terms. This nuance may signal a shift to a more realistic approach based on Kim Jong-un’s understanding of the serious challenges North Korea currently faces.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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