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The Guerrilla Narrative of Kim Il Sung's Works

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The Guerrilla Narrative of Kim Il Sung's Works View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by The University of Utah: J. Willard Marriott Digital Library THE GUERRILLA NARRATIVE OF KIM IL SUNG’S WORKS AND REGIME STABILITY IN THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA by AnnMarie Saunders A thesis submitted to the faculty of The University of Utah in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Asian Studies College of Humanities The University of Utah August 2015 Copyright © AnnMarie Saunders 2015 All Rights Reserved The University of Utah Graduate School STATEMENT OF THESIS APPROVAL The thesis of AnnMarie Saunders has been approved by the following supervisory committee members: Deberniere Janet Torrey , Chair 04/23/2015 Date Approved Janet M. Theiss , Member 04/23/2015 Date Approved Kirk W. Larsen , Member 04/23/2015 Date Approved and by Janet M. Theiss , Chair/Dean of the Department/College/School of Asian Studies and by David B. Kieda, Dean of The Graduate School. ABSTRACT In The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves and Why It Matters, Brian Myers writes that the numerous volumes containing Kim Il Sung’s works are “more often praised than read. [A]t most [they function] as an imposing row of book- spines, a prop in [his] personality cult.” This perspective suggests that the presence of the Works rather than its content is its most important characteristic. I argue that Kim’s works serve a larger function by contributing to the legitimacy narrative the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) constructs about its leader. The first half of the first volume of Kim’s Works covers a historical period critically important to the DPRK’s legitimacy rhetoric, the period from 1930 to 1943. Kim’s legitimacy as the leader of his nation stems from his guerrilla activities during the 1930s and early 1940s. Perhaps more than any other factor, this guerrilla pedigree forms the foundation for all of Kim’s other virtues by which he claims right to the leadership of the DPRK. In this thesis, I examine the rhetoric about his compatriots, and the guerrilla war they are waging against the Japanese using text from the first half of the first volume of the Works. In this selection, the Works creates a narrative about these textual themes intended to help stabilize the DPRK regime during a time of great change inside and outside the country. First, the narrative seeks to reinforce Kim’s right to be the DPRK’s “great leader” by creating a persona for him as the epitome of a revolutionary leader. By bolstering Kim’s legitimacy through the creation of this persona, it also seeks to reinforce his son’s claim to the leadership of the nation after him. Second, the narrative strives to justify the DPRK’s military build-up and spending and glorify military service as the highest expression of patriotism. The Works uses this persona of the guerrilla leader it creates to construct a picture of the model citizenry for the people to emulate. This model citizenry is built around the values of the guerrilla army the persona of Kim led in the 1930s and 1940s. iv “Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are, and those few dare not oppose themselves to the opinion of the many, who have the majesty of the state to defend them[.]” – Nicolo Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapter XVIII Works Works Works Works Works LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Anti-Japanese People’s Guerrilla Army…………………………………………....AJPGA Democratic People’s Republic of Korea…………………………………………….DPRK Foreign Languages Publishing House………………………………………………..FLPH Korean Communist Party……………………………………………………………...KCP Korean People’s Revolutionary Army………………………………………………KPRA People’s Republic of China……………………………………………………………PRC Republic of Korea……………………………………………………………………..ROK United Nations………………………………………………………………………….UN United States of America………………………………………………………………..US Young Communist League……………………………………………………………YCL iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Though my name is the one that appears on the title page as this thesis’s author, the truth is that without the generous and constant support of mentors, family, and friends, it never would have been completed. I would like to thank first and foremost my advisor, Dr. Deberniere J. Torrey, who bore with me over many months of frustration as I tried to define my research topic and who graciously granted me more than one “one more day” to finish chapters and drafts. Similarly, I would also like to thank the other members of my committee, Dr. Janet Theiss and Dr. Kirk W. Larsen, who both willingly offered their time and expertise and were an integral part of the realization of this thesis. My especial and deepest thanks are for all those who believed in me over the whole process of researching and writing this thesis—mentors, friends, and especially my family. Through all the frustrations, late nights, self-doubt, and I-will-never-finish-this moments, they gave me the strength to continue and the will to succeed. Thank you. iv Works Works Kim Il Sung: Works Kim Il-sng Chjakchip Works Works Works Works Works WorksLet Us Promote the World Revolution, WorksKim Il-sng Chjakchip Works Holding High the Banner of Marxism-Leninism and Proletarian Internationalism, the Banner of Anti-Imperialist, Anti-U.S.
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