The Volokh Conspiracy
[Eugene Volokh, February 17, 2007 at 11:01am] Trackbacks
Not Just Valentine's Day -- Great Leader Kim Jong Il's Birthday:

Symposiums on Kim Jong Il's Undying Feats Held:

Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- Symposiums on the undying feats performed by Kim Jong Il were held by working people's organizations....

The speakers profoundly explained the imperishable feats performed by Kim Jong Il for the times and history, noting that his birth was a great auspicious event which opened a bright prospect before the continuity of the Juche revolutionary cause and accomplishment of the human cause of independence.

They said Kim Jong Il, genius of thought and theory, scientifically formulated the revolutionary idea of President Kim Il Sung and steadily developed it in depth to meet the demand of the developing revolution, thus clearly indicating the road ahead of the times and humankind....

Thanks to Jules Crittenden for the pointer.

Redman:
I wonder if he believes in Global Warming.
2.17.2007 11:19am
godfodder (mail):
I wonder who was Kim Jong's valentine. I mean, besides himself....
2.17.2007 2:00pm
KJI (www):
I thank you for your good wishes.

Kim Jong Il
2.17.2007 2:18pm
Dave N (mail):
Rush Limbaugh occassionally has great one-liners. His nickname for "Dear Leader"--"Kim Jung Mentally Ill" always seems apt.
2.17.2007 3:24pm
Ilya Somin:
Eugene,

The "Great Leader" was Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il's father and predecessor as NK dictator. KJI is the "Dear Leader."

If an NK official made this mistake, he would never be heard from again:).
2.17.2007 3:55pm
Dave N (mail):
I suggest that everyone read the links on Jules Crittenden's site. The KCNA links are so unintentionally funny that you will laugh out loud--until you realize that whoever is writing this drivel is perfectly serious.
2.17.2007 4:00pm
The Divagator (mail) (www):
KJI's birthday...kind of like world-leader Festivus.
2.17.2007 9:25pm
Eugene Volokh (www):
Ilya: I actually did a Leader Adjective Check, and I think you may need a little re-education; the Web KCNA site refers to Kim Jong Il as Great Leader.
2.17.2007 10:43pm
Lev:
Kim Il Sung was Great Leader until the mid 1990's, then he was demoted.
2.17.2007 10:50pm
Lev:

I suggest that everyone read the links on Jules Crittenden's site. The KCNA links are so unintentionally funny that you will laugh out loud--until you realize that whoever is writing this drivel is perfectly serious.


Why not go directly to the horse's.....no horses, they've all been et...anyway: http://www.kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm
2.17.2007 10:52pm
Ilya Somin:
Ilya: I actually did a Leader Adjective Check, and I think you may need a little re-education; the Web KCNA site refers to Kim Jong Il as Great Leader.

I suspect that this is merely referring to him as "great" as an adjective, not a part of his official title. But I admit it's possible that the Dear Leader has now decreed that he is Great as well as Dear.

However, this authoritative biography of KJI explains that he refused to take the title of "Great Leader" after his father's death in 1994.

Sadly, it looks like Eugene is the one who is going to be hauled away for reeducation. Better him than me:).
2.17.2007 11:05pm
Eugene Volokh (www):
Well, in that case, I plead the Title Dodge: In the title, all the principal words are capitalized (most readers see all the letters capitalized, but people who read the blog by e-mail or via our RSS feeds see each principal word capitalized). Therefore, perhaps I was just referring to him as great leader (echoing the KCNA site), not Great Leader.
2.18.2007 12:35am
Ilya Somin:
Well, in that case, I plead the Title Dodge: In the title, all the principal words are capitalized (most readers see all the letters capitalized, but people who read the blog by e-mail or via our RSS feeds see each principal word capitalized). Therefore, perhaps I was just referring to him as great leader (echoing the KCNA site), not Great Leader.

Clever, but such excuses won't satisfy the Great/Dear Leader's secret police!
2.18.2007 4:08pm
Lev:
Why not go directly to the horse's.....no horses, they've all been et...anyway:

http://www.korea-dpr.com/pmenu.htm
The Leaders are the sun of the nation and mankind

• Biography of Kim Il Sung

• Biography of Kim Jong Il
© Juche 94 Korean Friendship Association. All rights reserved.
2.18.2007 10:01pm
rbj:
Sadly, in NoKo, both Eugene &Ilya and their whole families would now be taken away for "reeducation." Can't have any doubts about who is The Great Leader and who is The Dear Leader.

Is North Korea the most extreme example of a nation as cult that has ever existed?
2.19.2007 7:19am
glangston (mail):
Laissez Bontemps Roulez
2.19.2007 12:11pm

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