North Korea's religious dictators

2026-10-04 · 46 min · episode 2637 · 6 entities

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More than three decades after the end of the Cold War and the fall of the USSR, the North Korean regime remains steadfastly in place, defiantly ploughing its own path some eight decades after its founding. What might explain this remarkable longevity? In Jonathan Cheng’s new book, Korean Messiah, the Wall Street Journal correspondent argues that it owes much to the enduring cult of personality around its founder, Kim Il-Sung, who took inspiration from his own Christian roots to create a modern religion that endures to this day. Jonathan’s book is a finalist for the 2026 Cundill History Prize, and in today’s episode he explores these ideas with Rob Attar. ----- Go to⁠ ⁠https://surfshark.com/historyextra⁠⁠ or use code HISTORYEXTRA at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices