Leader Symbols and Personality Cult in North Korea

North Korea may be an extreme case where a modern state puts concerted efforts for the cult of its leaders and their family. This book attempts to delve into how the North Korean state has established the cult of the Kims, how it uses leader symbols in the cult, and the symbolic meanings that the leader symbol evokes. As such, it will be essential reading for students and scholars of North Korea, Korean politics, Asian politics, political sociology and visual politics.

Jae-Cheon Lim is Associate Professor in the Department of North Korean Studies at Korea University, South Korea.

1. Leader Symbols in North Korea 2. Leader Symbols, the Cult, and its Impact on Political Succession 3. Myth- and Ritual-Making in Kim Il Sung's Anti-Japanese Struggle 4. The Kims: Image-making 5. Symbolic Leadership: The Leader's Guidance Tour as a Symbolic Act 6. Conclusion