Review: Inside the Mind of a Dictator — Understanding Kim Jong-un

Movies and TV shows are always very interesting and most times worth the watch as they are educational but idk why i always get bored watching, sometimes it makes me sleep off lol. There is a good news tho, few days ago I happened to watch a very interesting documentary interview and analysis on YouTube titled “North Korea: Inside the Mind of a Dictator.”
When i saw it a lot ran through my mind because kim is a very mysterious man so i was interested. The documentary tries to answer a complicated question which is trying to figure out what kind of leader is Kim Jong-un, and how he thinks?

The documentary focuses mainly on Kim Jong‑un who is now the current leader of North Korea, who came to power in 2011 after the death of his father Kim Jong‑il i was really suprised to learn that he is the 3rd man to ever rule North Korea! One of the first things the documentary explains is that Kim became the leader at a very young age which is true… in his early thirties he suddenly found himself controlling one of the most secretive countries in the world and commanding a massive military power with so much artileries and heavy man power, i think they are the 4th largest in the world.

Kim jong un in the documentary was depicted as A Leader Between Two Worlds and we will find out why.
One of the central ideas discussed in the documentary is what analysts call Kim Jong-un’s dilemma which is kinda complicated, it is to me. On one hand, he inherited a political system built by his father and grandfather, North Korea is a nation that isb’nt based on modern system of power like democracy and the rest, its like a more traditional system instilled by Kim Il‑sung, which relies heavily on strict control, propaganda and absolute loyalty. This system has ruled the nation for more than seventy years. But on the other hand there is a rising issue because the modern world is changing quickly and the world at large cant relate with north koreàs previous style of life because they were not really on the internet like other nations for privacy reasons. The documentary explains that Kim faces pressure to modernize the country, improve the economy and at the same time achieve international legitimacy while still maintaining complete control over his people. That might be difficult for anyone, including me.

This tension between modernization and control is what shapes many of his decisions according to articles and reports i have read of people.

It is nice to talk about his early life and influence because that shows us a lot about his personality and lifestyle. His grandfather and father were strict generally and they believed Kim was going to be a leader so they trained him to be one.
Unlike many North Korean citizens, Kim actually spent some time studying abroad in Switzerland many years ago. That was where he got exposed to Western culture, technology, and a free like society where people could still make lots of choices on their own. People in the documentary suggest that this experience may have influenced his desire to show a slightly more modern image as a leader, one basketballer was his school mate as of then and in the interview he said Kim was a shy guy but very passionate when he gets to the basketball court.

The documentary shows how he sometimes presents himself differently from his father by appearing in public with his wife, opening entertainment facilities like ski resorts and amusement parks, and by doing so he is allowing certain modern elements into the North Korean society, i bet the younger generations are living the best time of their lives now.
But for Kim one thing is sure,all the small modern touches do not necessarily mean the political system itself has changed he is only modernizing the experience.

In this documentary i was really shocked to see some of the ruthless actions that were taken in connection to his power.
One of the hardest stories they mention is the assassination of his step brother called Kim Jong‑nam, they trailed and killed him in 2017 at an airport in Malaysia using strategic chemicals and featuring a prankstar to do it in such a way that she didnt realise she was connected with murder.
Thats how sleek the operation went lol.The step brother was a bad rival to his government so he was eliminated. The event shows us how maintaining power in such a political system often involves ruthless decisions and extreme security measures.

Another part of the documentary focuses on another major aspect of his life where Kim was making his way to appear on the international stage, all he would aspire is dominace and diplomacy. We saw his diplomatic meetings with foreign leaders, especially his historic summit with Donald Trump in a video they shook hands and he was just calm, personally i love his steeze 😅
I learned the meetings were partly attempts to reduce international sanctions and improve North Korea’s global image and i think thats happening already. 
The documentary also highlighted something very interesting, kim keeps on building nuclear weapons even while doing diplomatic meetings.

What I found most interesting about this documentary is that it does not simply portray Kim Jong-un as a cartoon villain or a mysterious dictator but we can clearly see the real time pressure it takes to handle power as a dictator and fusing the regime with a good or strong international relationship. Its not an essy feat at all, managing family’s rule and moving on the speedily developing world unlike his fathers’.

Thank you for reading🥳🙏