All Monsters Must Die
An Excursion to North Korea
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
In 1948, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is founded by General Kim Il-sung.
In 1978, North Korea celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of its founding, and Kim Jong-il, who at the time is the head of the Propaganda and Agitation Department, orders the kidnapping of the greatest South Korean movie star, the actress Madame Choi, and her ex-husband, the famous film director Shin Sang-ok.
In 2008, North Korea celebrates its sixtieth anniversary, and Magnus Bärtås and Fredrik Ekman take a bizarre, heavily guided tour to the world’s most isolated country.
In All Monster Must Die, authors Magnus Bärtås and Fredrik Ekman weave together these three stories to create a mosaic of North Korea, past and present: from the Japanese occupation to the demarcation of the border at the 38th parallel and the Korean War, the development of North Korean Juche ideology, the establishment of the Kim dynasty’s cult of personality, and the aggressive manufacturing of political propaganda, which motivated the kidnapping of South Korea’s most famous film couple. Intelligent and shocking, this book offers a rare and fascinating window into the “hermit kingdom,” and includes an updated chapter on the passing of Kim Jong-il and the declaration of his son, Kim Jong-un, as supreme leader.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Odds were against this frequently surreal travelogue being so fully absorbing and successful. Foreigners traveling through North Korea by bus for just eight days in 2008 are unlikely to be able to reveal much about one of the most mysterious nations on the planet. Their journey is regimented, rigidly censored, and restricted to officially sanctioned tourist stops designed to showcase the glorious leader and the country's heavenly destiny, making it hard to discern what's real, what's a state-sponsored illusion, or very much of anything about the people. But the Swedish authors are the best kind of tour guides quick-witted, skeptical, and informative. They take impressively educational detours and are expert portraitists (and occasional satirists), whether they are representing their prickly fellow tourists, officious chaperones, undernourished roadside peasants, or harried restaurateurs. Even though they are permitted to view very little and nearly every word they hear in translation is scripted, the pair manage to paint a convincing picture of a bizarre, comic, and profoundly Orwellian land where newspeak and doublethink are everyday norms. Given the scarce source material, these travelers have spun a richly detailed tapestry.
