Kim Jong-Il makes sacrifices for North Korea

[Mr.Penguin]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hZkeq-IGuP0P3iwYECAuWPJG2rzA

Kim sacrifices himself for NKorea: state media

8 hours ago

SEOUL (AFP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il has sacrificed holidays and time with his family to devote himself to his country, according to the communist state's media.

Official radio monitored by Seoul's Yonhap news agency said Kim spent almost two months on his trademark "field guidance" tours from late December to mid-February.

"I have stayed away from home for two months and lived in a train to give field guidance to various economic sectors in a forced march," it quoted Kim himself as saying on his 67th birthday on February 16.

"I cannot deny having had a desire to take holidays and rest with my family at home, but I couldn't do it because I was so concerned about people's lives."

Kim is widely believed to have suffered a stroke last August. The once-portly leader appears gaunt and much older and thinner in recent photos.

Nevertheless, he has more than tripled his public appearances this year, according to state media reports.

In April the ruling communist party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said Kim felt fatigue because of his tough schedule.

"A man is not made of iron and must take care of his own body. But I have no time to do so," the leader was quoted as saying during a field trip.

"Why wouldn't I be tired and need more sleep? Even though I'm tired, I endure it."

The newspaper depicted him as tough but tender in a report two days after the North's April 5 rocket launch. Kim was "choked with sobs" at the need to use the money on the launch rather than to improve people's livelihoods, it said.

"Our people will still understand," it quoted him as saying.

The North suffered famine in the 1990s which killed hundreds of thousands and still relies on foreign aid to alleviate severe food shortages.

What a great guy, give the man a break will ya, he obviously cares...

[Caliga]

  I wonder if the North Korean people actually believe shit like this or silently laugh at it (since they wouldn't dare voice public criticism).

[jimmy olsen]

I wonder if the North Korean people actually believe shit like this or silently laugh at it (since they wouldn't dare voice public criticism).

One would hope so, but they've been brainwashed for 60 years, so who knows.

[frunk]

Makes me think they are setting up an announcement that he's died due to overexertion for the people.

[Caliga]

Makes me think they are setting up an announcement that he's died due to overexertion for the people.

[Lucidor]

Kremlology at it's best!

[saskganesh]

I wonder if the North Korean people actually believe shit like this or silently laugh at it (since they wouldn't dare voice public criticism).

One would hope so, but they've been brainwashed for 60 years, so who knows.

at this very moment, somewhere in the deep tubes of NK cyberspace, Timmay Kim Lee has just posted this news story, preceded by the comment "Good Stuff!"

[Caliga]

You mean he wrote it on a chalkboard. 

[saskganesh]

You mean he wrote it on a chalkboard. 

yes. in block capital letters. and he waved it as high as his stunted dwarf-like arms could reach.

[Caliga]

You mean he wrote it on a chalkboard. 

yes. in block capital letters. and he waved it as high as his stunted dwarf-like arms could reach.

...and after he got done he looked down at his protruding ribcage and thought "Apolling!" but didn't dare say it. 

[DGuller]

I wonder if the North Korean people actually believe shit like this or silently laugh at it (since they wouldn't dare voice public criticism).

Given what I know about North Korea, most will believe.  In my experience in Soviet Union, most people who were raised in Stalin's time, when the brainwashing was by far the most severe, were completely unable to critically analyze anything in politics.  All the "imperfections" of the daily life were blamed on the incompetent bureaucrats who did not carry forward the progressive visions of the Party.

[Josquius]

Given what I know about North Korea, most will believe.  In my experience in Soviet Union, most people who were raised in Stalin's time, when the brainwashing was by far the most severe, were completely unable to critically analyze anything in politics.  All the "imperfections" of the daily life were blamed on the incompetent bureaucrats who did not carry forward the progressive visions of the Party.

Sounds a bit like typical medieval societies.
It was always the king's corrupt advisors to blame- the sun shone out of the monarch's arse no matter how bad he was.

[DGuller]

Sounds a bit like typical medieval societies.
It was always the king's corrupt advisors to blame- the sun shone out of the monarch's arse no matter how bad he was.

That's actually close to the Russian term for this, which is "Good czar, bad advisers".

[DisturbedPervert]

Dear Leader

[DisturbedPervert]

I wonder if the North Korean people actually believe shit like this or silently laugh at it (since they wouldn't dare voice public criticism).

I think they believe it.  I remember a story about some foreign eye doctor that went to North Korea and restored their sight.

http://rokdrop.com/2007/03/12/lisa-ling-special-on-north-korea-on-you-tube/

It was amazing to watch the eye doctor restore eye sight to people who had been blind for years and they immediately walk up to pictures of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il to thank them for giving back their eye sight without a word of thanks to the Nepalese doctor. The most chilling scene was when one old woman pledged to work harder in the salt mines for the glory of Kim Jong-il for returning her eye sight.