Dear leader book grand rapids public library bibliocommons. Poet, spy, escapeea look inside north korea, jang tells how he got there and how and why, despite his high. My escape from north korea 9781476766560 by jin sung, jang and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Just when i think no new revelation about the brutality and indifference of the north korean regime towards its own people will be sufficient to shock me, along comes jang jin sung and dear leader. In his book dear leader, jang jin sung offers a personal journey, a humane story of one man who is forced to escape the country leaving behind his family. Jang jin sung worked at the heart of north koreas propaganda machine. When a friend loses a south korean book jang removed from his workplace, an investigation and prosecution was certain to follow. Never before has a member of the elite described the inner workings of this totalitarian state and its propaganda machine. Since 1953, korea has been divided by an armistice line known as the korean demilitarised zone dmz, held in.
How kim jongils favourite poet propagandist fled north korea. My escape from north korea one reason why north korea is unable to pursue reform and open itself more to the world is that this would risk exposing core dogmas of the state as mere fabrications. Dear leader book by jang jinsung official publisher page. At age 28, in 1999, upon the publication of his ingratiating epic poem spring rests on the gun barrel of the lord, written for kim jongil, jinsung earned a personal endorsement of the great leader and the privilege of immunity as one of the few admitted in the upper cadre of the organization and guidance department of the workers. Dear leader poet, spy, escapee a look inside north korea book.
Jang jin sung is a former court poet, and propagandist, for north korean leader kim jongil. Young and ambitious, he had access to state secrets, including information about military and diplomatic policies, and the distribution of power. He had worked as a psychological warfare officer within the united front department of the korean workers party. Dear leader is the incredible biographical account of the writer, jang jin sung and his journey to be free of north korea. Dear leader quotes showing 17 of 7 the united front department ufd is a key section in the workers party, responsible for interkorean espionage, policymaking and diplomacy. Jun 22, 2014 just when i think no new revelation about the brutality and indifference of the north korean regime towards its own people will be sufficient to shock me, along comes jang jin sung and dear leader. Poet, spy, escapee a look inside north korea dear leader.
Since leaving the country he has become a bestselling author and widely solicited commentator on north korea. Dear leader is written by one of the most informed defectors to leave the country in years. May 07, 2014 jang jinsung was 28 yearsold when he first met kim jongil. It is also the gripping story of how a member of the inner circle of this enigmatic country became its most courageous, outspoken critic.
Jang jinsung, a 27yearold north korean poet, could hardly believe it when he received a summons to meet the first deputy director of the united front department udf in pyongyang. Dear leader book by jang jinsung official publisher. In dear leader, jang jinsung pulls back the curtain, revealing an inbred world of sycophancy, full stomachs. He gives an intimate view of the struggles of refugees, their plight, and the threat of returning. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading dear leader. Not moving my head, i direct my eyes to a point halfway up the archway where kim jongils face will soon appear. Dear leader, a look inside north korea, by jang jinsung.
Mar 27, 2019 the title of the book wasnt too exciting and as a matter of fact, i had a pessimistic view as i was reading the book. We recently saw that the korea economic institute and the committee on human rights in north korea are sponsoring a talk this week by jang jin sung the program is linked here. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In this international bestseller, a highranking counterintelligence agent describes his life as a former poet laureate to kim jongil and his breathtaking escape to freedom. North koreas senior propagandist exposes shocking truths behind the regime by jang jin sung. Written by a former poetlaureate and a member of the admitted the elite of the elite who have been allowed in the presence of the dear leader for more than 20 mins. His theme is how markets are controlled by state actors and princelings, an observation we completely endorse. In fact, one imagines that dear leader could be the basis of a divergentlike film series. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read dear leader. February 2, 2015 author jang jinsung, on his first visit to the u. He has been awarded the rex warner literary prize and read his poetry at londons cultural olympiad in 2012. In his book dear leader, jang jinsung offers a personal journey, a humane story of one man who is forced to escape the country leaving behind his family. As north koreas state poet laureate, jang jin sung led a charmed life.
Jang jinsungs book tends to support the latter view, depicting a regime run by a paranoid and powerhungry leader who cares little for what happens to anyone but himself. My escape from north korea ebook written by jang jinsung. He has been awarded the rex warner literary prize and read his poetry at. An astonishing expose told through the heartstopping story of jang jinsungs escape to south korea, dear leaderis a rare and unprecedented insight into the worlds most secretive and repressive regime. A cultural counterintelligence agent and one of kims favorite propaganda poets, jang became one of north koreas admitted when he met and with half a dozen other cadres dined with the dear leader.
This narrow space by elisha waldman penguin books australia. Poet, spy, escapee a look inside north korea by jang jinsung in this rare insiders view into contemporary north korea, a highranking counterintelligence agent describes his life as a former poet laureate to kim jongil and his breathtaking escape to freedom. The tale, ending with his own dramatic escape, depicts jang s gradual metamorphosis from total conformist, to serious doubter, to enemy of the state. Dear leader by jang jinsung penguin books australia. Works edit memoirs crossing poetry collection i am selling my daughter for 100 won. Feb 03, 2015 february 2, 2015 author jang jinsung, on his first visit to the u. Jang jinsung s book tends to support the latter view, depicting a regime run by a paranoid and powerhungry leader who cares little for what happens to anyone but himself. Jang jin sung tells of his horrible journey from being a north korean government insider to defecting through china in an effort to eventually escape to seoul. Jang jinsung s memoir of his life and escape from north korea tries to pierce some of the murkiness by giving an inside look into the country and the kim dynasty that has led it. In this rare insiders view into contemporary north korea, a. An astonishing expose told through the heartstopping story of jang jinsungs escape to south korea, dear leader is an impossibly dramatic storyone of the best depictions yet of north koreas nightmare publishers weekly.
Dear leader contains astonishing new insights about north korea which could only be revealed by someone working high up in the regime. That rare audience with north koreas late supreme leader in 1999 should have been the proudest day of his life. Dear leader, by jang jin sung after that meeting, i realised that totalitarianism is so inefficient and that it is just there to serve individualism. Reading almost like a thriller, rather than a memoir, jang jin sung, a talented writer who came to the attention of dear leader himself, explains how he felt increasingly compromised working for the regime, until he had to run for his life. Click download or read online button to get dear leader book now. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. That rare audience with north koreas late supreme leader in.
Reading jang jin sung s firstperson account of living and escaping from north korea feels like a full body immersion into a eerie, tensionladen dystopian novel. He was working in the covert operations carried out by section 5 literature of division 19 poetry of office 101, the udfs policymaking arm. In this rare insiders view into contemporary north korea, a highranking counterintelligence agent describes his life as a former poet laureate to kim jongil and his breathtaking escape to freedom. Jang jin sung s story is one of desperation, endurance, and freedom. Jang jinsung wrote about his journey of defecting in his 2014 book, dear leader. Sunday times top 10 bestseller dear leader contains astonishing new insights about north korea which could only be revealed by someone working high up in the regime.
The core of the book is an account of jangs decision to escape north korea, along with a friend. This book is an absolutely mesmerising account of how a senior propagandist in north korea fled to china. My escape from north korea kindle edition by jinsung, jang. Jang jin sung is a former poet laureate for north korean leader kim jongil. Translator shirley lee has done a remarkable job in bringing those emotions to the english version of the book. Dear leader poet spy escapee a look inside north korea. My escape from north korea ebook written by jang jin sung. Jang jin sung demonstrates unique insight into the lifestyle and power structures of north koreas top elite. Jang jinsung is a former poet laureate for north korean leader kim jongil. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. An astonishing expose told through the heartstopping story of jang jinsungs escape to south korea, dear leader is a rare and unprecedented insight into the worlds most secretive and repressive regime. Jang jinsung came to the attention of the leadership during college with his poetry and. A defector of kim jongils rarefied inner circle reveals the desperate, despicable machinations of north koreas police state. Jang jinsung is a former court poet, and propagandist, for north korean leader kim jongil.
Jang jin sung held one of the most senior ranks in north koreas propaganda machine, helping tighten the regimes grip over its people. North koreas senior propagandist exposes shocking truths behind the regime by jin sung, jang isbn. Since leaving the country he has become a bestselling author and media sensation. Among his tasks were developing the founding myth of north korea, posing undercover as a south korean intellectual and writing epic poems in support of the dictator, kim jongil. Every chance i got i put these on my headphones time to make dinner listen to dear leader. In the past 15 years, about 26,000 north koreans have slipped across their countrys semipermeable border with china and found their way to south korea. A memoir both bittersweet and inspiring by an american pediatric oncologist who spent seven years in jerusalem taking care of israeli and palestinian children with one tragic thing in common. We recently saw that the korea economic institute and the committee on human rights in north korea are sponsoring a talk this week by jang jinsung the program is linked here. Dear leader contains astonishing revelations about north korea that could only be disclosed by a regime insider. Jan 27, 2015 never before has a member of the elite described the inner workings of this totalitarian state and its propaganda machine. It tells the story of jang jin sung and his work with the udf an organization that writes propoganda as poetry under kim jongil. May 26, 2014 if the sixnation talks on pyongyangs nuclear programme resume, jang jin sung s book should be in every delegates briefing bag.
1565 374 362 320 1336 740 1161 1482 614 571 667 1166 402 642 634 1295 874 129 3 1492 424 686 877 593 1024 1488 1036 1086 1321 1393 57 38 324 1304 753 792