E263 - North Korea’s Roots in Christianity w/ Jonathan Cheng
Summary
Jonathan Chang, WSJ China Bureau Chief, discusses his book on the Christian roots of North Korea’s personality cult. He explains how Pyongyang became a Protestant hub under missionary Samuel Moffett, with Kim Il-sung’s devout Christian family playing a key role. Chang argues Kim Il-sung leveraged this religious fervor and nationalist sentiment to construct his own messianic cult, blending Christian structures with socialist ideology to consolidate power.
Topics discussed
Introduction and book writing process
Christianity's success in Korea vs. Asia
Samuel Moffett's missionary work in Pyongyang
Sociological reasons for Christian revival
Kim Il Sung's devout Christian upbringing
Shift from Wilsonianism to Socialism
Kim Il Sung's guerrilla years and cult origins
Japanese Shintoism and Korean resistance
Establishing the personality cult in North Korea
Suppression of the church and regime stability
Dynastic succession and the Kim family's future
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