North Korea Documentary Demo
Description
Vocal Characteristics
Language
EnglishVoice Age
Young Adult (18-35)Accents
North American (General)Transcript
Note: Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors.
This is Kim Jong Un. He closed the borders, eliminated any opposition and suppressed any information about the Western world. He holds unlimited power and nuclear protection. Today, North Korea is a territory of absolute secrecy. It's practically impossible to escape from there. So why does a country that is unable to feed its population develop nuclear weapons? Why has a North Korea collapsed like the Soviet *****? And most importantly, why does Kim Jong Un manage to hold on to power to the point that 25 million North Koreans barely remember anyone else. But the Kim dynasty, North Korea or the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is 75 years old, six years older than the Soviet *****. In the same period, many leaders took over power in the US sr while in North Korea, only three have ruled Kim Il, Sung, Kim Jong Il and now Kim Jong Un, if you can probably guess they are related, grandfather, father and son. So it's clear that North Korea isn't about communism, democracy or even party power. It's a personal regime of one specific family and somehow they've kept a multi million strong population under control for 75 years. How do they manage to do that? In 1952 American airplanes ruthlessly bombed North Korea's capital. Imagine 900 tons of devastation across 20 square miles. During three years of the Korean War, Americans dropped 200,000 bombs, almost one for every person. But did you know that North Korea started this fight by invading the South on June 25th, 1950 North Korea took 90% of the South except for a small piece near Basan. Thanks to the United Nations and the United States support the South fought back, taking over the North and obliterating everything. In 1953 the war ended with the drawing of the actual borders. Two countries are formed, North Korea and South Korea, the US backed the South while China and the Soviet ***** helped the North until 1994 Kim Il Sung, the grandfather ruled North Korea for almost five decades and he didn't transform into a great leader. At some point, the Korean propaganda elevates him to the son of the nation and practically makes him the God of North Korea. But what did he do to deserve this? Imagine a country that was badly damaged by American bombings during a war. And this difficult situation that he created. Kim Il Sung managed to turn things around. He rebuilt his capital, received help from friendly Communist countries and developed the country faster than its Southern neighbor during the war. Many people died in Korea leaving behind a lot of orphan Children, Kim Il Sung made sure these Children were taken care of. He built homes and schools provided them with food and education and became like a real father. This was a smart move because these Children remained loyal to him and grew up to become leaders in the military, in the security services. Now take a look at these propaganda paintings, mosaics and statues of Kim Il Sung. He isn't just a father but also a loving mother. See how he gently treats wounded soldiers, Children and the elderly. This is not by chance these values underpin any religion, cult or sect, they aim to replace the family. But why does the state try to replace the family? Well, because the family also means security and here's where the desire for power comes in. Remember those brutal American bombings? Well, it could have been worse. Hundreds of thousands of bombs are nothing compared to their nuclear warheads which were used at the end of World War Two on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. By the way, these very American nuclear threats stopped the Korean War. As recent history shows you can't always rely on your allies. So Kim Il Sung sent his scientist to the Nuclear Research Institute of the Soviet ***** to gain knowledge and preparation. After returning, they created their nuclear ammunition. The share of the national budget allocated to the military industrial complex in North Korea has grown significantly. In 1956 it was a mere 4.5%. But in 1966 it had surged to 30%. But suddenly the US sr collapsed. Kim Il Sung passed away and a terrible famine struck in the nineties. Even in these tough circumstances, the Kim dynasty managed to stay in power. Most Koreans looked like this. There is no more support from the collapsed US, Sr or China. In the end, their enemies, the US and South Korea became their main aid donors. The North Korean government had to loosen its grip and allow some private trade, improvised markets started to flourish and smuggling started spreading, private business started to grow but it grew too fast which posed a danger to the regime. If things spun out of control, the regime might have collapsed to prevent this. Kim Jong Il, the successor made a smart move to solidify his authority. He focused on the military and declared the Song goon policy. Putting the army first. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, North Korea had around 1 million soldiers. If they chose to rise against the regime, it would pose a significant threat given that they always had all the weapons at their disposal. The second reason is that Kim Jong Il had no real military experience before becoming the national leader. He had been involved in propaganda, not warfare to gain the respect of the military. He needed to boost their influence, allocate a higher budget for defense and prioritize the armed forces in cash or privileges. Today, it's clear that Kim Jong Un has no intention of launching nuclear weapons. It would be suicide as a US response would undoubtedly be swift and certain. However, having a stockpile of nuclear warheads which could potentially reach Washington serves as a warranty. It prohibits Washington from interfering in North Korea's affairs. There is a universal theory that suggests any regime will keep working if it has three strong pillars of support. Firstly, it must be popular among the common people. North Korea uses propaganda to tell grand tales about its great leaders and betrays North Korea as surrounded by enemies. This helps maintain the regime's popularity. Secondly, the regime must ensure the fulfillment of senior military officials. They should live well and be rewarded for their loyalty. This includes significant military expenses, the development of nuclear weapons and other military privileges. Thirdly, the regime must align with big business. You might ask what business could there possibly be in North Korea? Well, here's the catch when Kim Jong Il had to loosen the control. A new class of individuals emerged today. They're referred to as the Jeonju which translates to money masters. These are the highest ranking officials, top military officers, those who manage state owned companies in North Korea, those who conduct business abroad and the officers of the security forces. Roughly 1% of North Korea's population now lives quite well. They drive regular cars within the country vacation to proper resorts and even wear Western clothing. This class of people is critical to the Kim regime because they provide substantial funds and contribute to its survival. The ruler doesn't care much about the rest of the population in North Korea. A private public partnership was developed where the government takes care of production, logistics and sales while sharing the profits with these Don ju this arrangement eases the government's burden and collects a significant portion of their earnings. People often mock air ko North Korea's National Airline which operates old Soviet planes and is considered one of the world's worst airlines. However, they control taxi services, gas stations and tourism agencies within the country. They produce cigarettes and canned goods under their brand. This partnership allows the government to take a portion of their earnings without directly involving themselves in production, logistics and sales complications. This private public partnership model contributes significantly to the survival of the regime, Kim Jong Un and his predecessors know how to stay in power. Their ideology, established nuclear deterrence and a circle of people interested in their presence have protected them. Thank you for watching. Don't forget to like and subscribe. Also down in the comments, write which country you think we should make a video on next.