Some say they knew ‘special’ broadcast meant announcement of Kim Jong-il’s death


To some North Koreans who fled their country to be treated as human beings are elsewhere, the news of their former leader Kim Jong-il’s death came as little surprise.

Park Su-hyun, defector and an oriental medicine doctor, said that the moment he heard there was going to be a special broadcast from the North Korean state media he knew that something was off.

“When I heard that they were going to hold a special broadcast later in the day, I thought to myself, ‘Kim Jong-il is dead,’” he said.

The Korea Central News Agency announced that their leader Kim Jong-il died of a heart attack on a train en route to an inspection Saturday morning.

Hours before the announcement North Korea had said it would make a “special” broadcast.

“We know because we’ve lived there,” said the 45-year-old defector.

“When North Korea says there will be a ‘special’ broadcast that’s…” Park laughed without finishing, insinuating that a special broadcast can only mean one thing.

“There is no such thing as a ‘special’ broadcast there.”

After hearing the announcement defectors had much to rejoice, but were unable to fully enjoy the moment.

“When I first heard the news of Kim Jong-il’s death, rather than feeling sadness and sympathy for the man, I immediately thought about the countless number of people who had no voice, money, or means of revolting and had simply died,” said Kim, who declined to give her name.

Some of the defectors believed the announced details of his death were too convenient.

“When I heard about the news I thought, you died such a peaceful death in a luxurious railroad car, when you should have died like Gadhafi in a hole shot by soldiers,” said Kim, 53.

Kim and the defectors she was with agreed that his life was not enough to pay for the sufferings of their families and friends.

“He died as a wolf that pillaged and stole everything from the country to fill his belly, when he should have been judged in a courtroom,” Kim, who came into the country in October 2010, said.

And all of the defectors agreed that the days of a separated Korea are numbered.

“There is nothing to hope for, we’re just headed for unification now,” said Park.

“Unification would never happen with Kim Jong-il in the picture, but now I certainly believe that unification is coming,” said Kim.

But the how and when was a much fuzzier picture.

“People don’t understand that the government has an iron-fist rule over the people, the dictators (not just Kim Jong-il) of the country have their feet deeply rooted into the ground,” said Kim.

Kim added that she used to work with the police force in the North.

Another problem that Park points out is the issue with allegiance.

“People never had to think twice about their allegiance, just give it to Kim Jong-il,” he said.

“But now people are faced with the dilemma of who to show their loyalty too,” said Park referring to the issue Kim Jong-il’s brother-in-law Jang Song-thaek openly running the show or behind the scenes.

“Even if Jang does choose to support Kim Jong-eun, people will still know who really leads the show, and will be confused who to pledge their allegiance too.”

The defectors have also noticed a change in the mourning atmosphere of the North from when Kim Il-sung had passed.

“When Kim Il-sung died we were bawling our eyes out and cried till our throats bled. When he died, the whole country was swept over with sadness,” said Kim.

“But when I look at the videos of people crying now, there isn’t as much genuineness behind their tears.”

“There is a huge difference between the death of the two, it’s like heaven and earth,” said Park.

“(Kim Il-sung) was a god, and when a god dies people can’t believe it so they are overcome with sadness,” he said.

By Robert Lee (robert@heraldcorp.com)