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The Truth About Kim Il-sung: An Examination of His Real History and Exploits

When it comes to historical figures, it is often said that history is written by the victors. This adage takes on a new dimension in the case of North Korea's founding leader, Kim Il-sung. He's a hero in North Korean folklore, a legendary figure whose deeds are taught to every child in the nation. However, the reality is strikingly different from the narrative that the North Korean regime propagates. In truth, many of Kim Il-sung's claims about his name, family, and past exploits have been significantly distorted to maintain his glorified image.

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The Story Behind His Name

Kim Il-sung, revered as the 'Eternal President' of North Korea, was not always known by this name. Born as Kim Sung-ju, he made a calculated decision to adopt the name of a legendary anti-Japanese resistance fighter, Kim Il-sung, effectively concealing his original identity and appropriating a heroic persona.

In 1940, under this adopted name, he defected to the Soviet Union and joined the Soviet Army. Contrary to the official narrative propagated by North Korea, which claims, "General Kim Il-sung issued the final attack command to the Korean People's Army on August 9, 1945, and accomplished the feat of national liberation by sweeping the Japanese Kwantung Army on August 15," the reality paints a different picture. In fact, Kim Il-sung only arrived in North Korea on September 19, 1945, well after Japan's capitulation, thus highlighting a significant distortion of the historical timeline.

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The Deception Around His Family

The distortions do not end with Kim Il-sung's name or his military exploits. His family history has also been manipulated to align with the regime's propaganda.

Kim Il-sung's father was a Christian and was ironically killed by communists. Adding another layer of irony, he ran an unauthorized traditional medicine clinic where he profited from dealing in opium. This factoid starkly contrasts the supposed anti-capitalist ethos of the North Korean regime.

In an equally incongruous twist, Kim Il-sung's mother was a Christian, a detail that starkly contradicts the North Korean regime's stringent prohibition of religion. The discrepancy between the actual religious affiliations of Kim Il-sung's parents and the North Korean state's hardline stance on religion forms a part of the web of deceits spun around the 'Eternal President'.

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Career Exploitations and Propaganda

Kim Il-sung's career achievements have been highly exaggerated as part of the North Korean regime's propaganda machinery. The regime propagates that Kim Il-sung led a vigorous armed resistance against Japan, leading to the liberation of the Korean peninsula.

However, the narrative crumbles upon close examination. For instance, the claim that Kim Il-sung founded the Korean People's Revolutionary Army in 1932 lacks historical records and is conspicuously absent in Japanese documents.

The Battle of Pochonbo, heralded as a significant victory in North Korean history books, with claims of over 1,500 casualties inflicted, was, in reality, a minor skirmish resulting in merely tens of casualties.

According to Hwang Jang-yop, a high-ranking North Korean defector, "Kim Il-sung did some shooting in Manchuria, but he didn't do much. Moreover, it's nonsensical to claim that Kim Il-sung, who didn't even graduate from middle school, created the Juche ideology." The Juche ideology is the state ideology of North Korea, stressing national self-reliance and independence.

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Unraveling the Myth

Despite these hard-to-ignore inconsistencies and distortions, North Korea continues to glorify Kim Il-sung's anti-Japanese resistance history and his supposed contributions to the nation. This glorification is not limited to schools or public discourse but extends to books and movies that have a substantial influence on public opinion.

The state-backed book, 'With the Century,' portrays Kim Il-sung as a legendary figure, recounting his life in a glorified and often fictitious manner. Similarly, films like 'Star of Korea' further prop up Kim Il-sung's hero image, further entrenching the distorted narrative within the collective consciousness of North Koreans.

These propagandist mediums play a critical role in the creation and sustenance of the myth around Kim Il-sung, deliberately obscuring his true identity, his real family history, and the actual events of his military career. This distortion of reality perpetuates a cult of personality that seeks to deify Kim Il-sung, providing the regime with a symbolic figurehead to rally the nation around, thereby consolidating its control over the people.

The Need for Truth

The revealing truth about Kim Il-sung's life, his real name, the realities of his family, and the embellishment of his career exploits underscore the importance of accurate historical documentation and the dangers of historical revisionism.

The careful and systematic manipulation of facts and events by the North Korean regime demonstrates the power of propaganda in shaping public perception and solidifying political control. This manipulation serves as a tool for the regime to maintain its grip on power and perpetuate a political system based on falsehood and manipulation.

However, the reality, as we have seen, is vastly different from the narrative. It's essential to question the sources of our information, the narratives we consume, and the stories we tell ourselves. This is particularly crucial when it comes to historical figures like Kim Il-sung, whose true histories have been clouded by layers of propaganda and misinformation.

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In conclusion, understanding the truth about Kim Il-sung demands a critical examination of the myths surrounding him. It requires peeling back the layers of propaganda to expose the man behind the legend, revealing a picture vastly different from the idolized image presented to the North Korean people and the world. This effort towards truth is not just about historical accuracy but about recognizing the power of narratives in shaping societies and the importance of transparency and truth in fostering informed, democratic societies.

As we continue to engage with the complex history of figures like Kim Il-sung, we can become more discerning readers of history, better equipped to distinguish fact from fiction and reality from propaganda.