North Korea’s Roots in Christianity—With Jonathan Cheng
Jonathan Cheng joins Danny and Derek to explore Christianity’s influence on North Korea’s founding ideology, the Kim family, and its enduring personality cult.
Kim Il Sung on April 1, 1980.
(Edoardo Fornaciari / Getty Images)Danny and Derek speak with Jonathan Cheng, China bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, about the Christian origins of North Korea’s founding ideology and the subsequent personality cult. The discussion explores missionary Samuel Moffat’s work in Pyongyang, the conversion of Kim Il Sung’s family to Christianity, Christian nationalism during Japanese colonial rule, the turn toward socialism, Kim’s postwar personality cult, and how Christianity informs the Kim family’s rule today.
Be sure to grab a copy of Jonathan’s book Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea’s Personality Cult.
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Don't forget Derek's Substack, Foreign Exchanges.
Enjoy Danny's new Substack, Imperialist Realism.
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