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gingerlaura's review
1.0
I didn't particularly knew alot about North Korea before reading this, and after reading I don't feel like I've learned anything new either.
The book itself doesn't feel like a cohesive story. There are quite a few jumps in time in each chapter, the chapters talk about several subjects at once, some information gets repeated a few times in the book and the inconsistent use of first and last names doesn't really help to make this book a pleasant read either. The writing style is one that didn't appeal to me, as it didn't make me want to read more. It took effort to read, which takes down alot of the reading experience for me. On top of that this book didn't really taught me anything new, which felt like I wasted my time reading this.
All of this made it that the author failed to pull me into the story, and made me skim quite a bit of this book. I was quite relieved when I finally finished, which is never a good sign. I should probably have DNF'ed this instead of push through it, but DNFing book has never been something I'm good at, so here we are.
The book itself doesn't feel like a cohesive story. There are quite a few jumps in time in each chapter, the chapters talk about several subjects at once, some information gets repeated a few times in the book and the inconsistent use of first and last names doesn't really help to make this book a pleasant read either. The writing style is one that didn't appeal to me, as it didn't make me want to read more. It took effort to read, which takes down alot of the reading experience for me. On top of that this book didn't really taught me anything new, which felt like I wasted my time reading this.
All of this made it that the author failed to pull me into the story, and made me skim quite a bit of this book. I was quite relieved when I finally finished, which is never a good sign. I should probably have DNF'ed this instead of push through it, but DNFing book has never been something I'm good at, so here we are.
sputnik2057's review
informative
medium-paced
3.0
Honestly kind of meh, but if you haven't been following North Korea and Kim Jong Un in the news then you might find it interesting. It did make me want to read Psychology of Intelligence Analysis by Richards J. Heuer Jr.
I also appreciated how they put the photos at a chapter break in the hardcover edition. I always find it annoying when they jam the photo section in the middle of a sentence.
I also appreciated how they put the photos at a chapter break in the hardcover edition. I always find it annoying when they jam the photo section in the middle of a sentence.
ellelovesbook's review
4.0
A former CIA officer, the author paints a comprehensive backdrop of the history of one of the world's most powerful and corrupt nations. Whether you're highly versed in the history of the Korean peninsula, or just have a basic understanding, the author provides enough contextual background information adjacent to covert intelligence to keep both types of readers engaged and entertained.
The Kim regime has been known to only let the public see what they want of them when they want them to see it. Likewise, Kim Jung Un has remained elusive, yet eager to be seen in the public eye when it benefits him. Growing up under an alias at a private school in Switzerland, the young Kim Jung Un took over his father's empire at the ripe age of 27. His father and grandfather were striving to unify the Korean peninsula once again, and this is seen to be Kim's ultimate and paramount goal, aside to his dynastic- and self-preservation. Kim is only confirmed to have 1 child, but 2 others are suspected from intelligence in South Korea.
Defectors of the ideology are punished to the nth degree: 'Intergenerational imprisonment and punishment was required because "their [relatives of defectors] seed must be eliminated through three generations."' There are two types of prisons in North Korea: political prisons and reeducation camps. Any offense deemed "anti-state" would cause a citizen, or non-citizen, to be imprisoned. We have seen multiple examples of Americans being imprisoned such as the student Otto for taking down a poster, and a man for leaving a Bible in a restaurant. Border patrol has only gotten tighter since COVID-19, and people willingly risk their lives knowing there's only a fraction of hope for a successful escape. To them, it's still better than living in squalor eating tree bark and roadkill to survive.
Then there were the Twitter battles between Trump and Kim. Their brazen and alarming tweets coupled with their lacking anger management resolve had the world on edge, constantly refreshing the Twitter homepage to read the tweet that would mean lights out. Then 2018 happened.
Following a series of meetings between Trump and Kim, promising handshakes, and seemingly swell conversations, sitting president Trump left the summit with a bullish trust of Kim's "word" on taking steps to denuclearize. In the end, we were left with the status quo, and Kim's absolute, adamant reluctance to take an iota of a step away from his pet project.
The author's insights on the metastasis moving forward include using external pressure to increase the domestic costs for Him. We want Kim to realize nuclear weapons are a greater threat to his rule and dynastic preservation than an asset. Denuclearization of the peninsula has been a longtime goal of the United States. To do this, the author advises we strategize and implement ways to choke off North Korea's ability to generate revenue for the regime and development of their nuclear weapons.
According to the former director of national intelligence, James Clapper, the US should invest in information dissemination programs in North Korea. He lamented that we had a limited means to satisfy the North Korean's "hunger for information."
Further, "access to more information gives North Korean people the agency, self-determination, and knowledge to write their own future and destiny as a nation."
These ideas are great in theory, but in practice we know it's almost impossible to get any information over there. I would've liked to hear more practical ideas on how to enable educational information to the people of North Korea, as self education and access to information are crucial to human evolution, and would be the necessary first step for a path towards a brighter future.
The Kim regime has been known to only let the public see what they want of them when they want them to see it. Likewise, Kim Jung Un has remained elusive, yet eager to be seen in the public eye when it benefits him. Growing up under an alias at a private school in Switzerland, the young Kim Jung Un took over his father's empire at the ripe age of 27. His father and grandfather were striving to unify the Korean peninsula once again, and this is seen to be Kim's ultimate and paramount goal, aside to his dynastic- and self-preservation. Kim is only confirmed to have 1 child, but 2 others are suspected from intelligence in South Korea.
Defectors of the ideology are punished to the nth degree: 'Intergenerational imprisonment and punishment was required because "their [relatives of defectors] seed must be eliminated through three generations."' There are two types of prisons in North Korea: political prisons and reeducation camps. Any offense deemed "anti-state" would cause a citizen, or non-citizen, to be imprisoned. We have seen multiple examples of Americans being imprisoned such as the student Otto for taking down a poster, and a man for leaving a Bible in a restaurant. Border patrol has only gotten tighter since COVID-19, and people willingly risk their lives knowing there's only a fraction of hope for a successful escape. To them, it's still better than living in squalor eating tree bark and roadkill to survive.
Then there were the Twitter battles between Trump and Kim. Their brazen and alarming tweets coupled with their lacking anger management resolve had the world on edge, constantly refreshing the Twitter homepage to read the tweet that would mean lights out. Then 2018 happened.
Following a series of meetings between Trump and Kim, promising handshakes, and seemingly swell conversations, sitting president Trump left the summit with a bullish trust of Kim's "word" on taking steps to denuclearize. In the end, we were left with the status quo, and Kim's absolute, adamant reluctance to take an iota of a step away from his pet project.
The author's insights on the metastasis moving forward include using external pressure to increase the domestic costs for Him. We want Kim to realize nuclear weapons are a greater threat to his rule and dynastic preservation than an asset. Denuclearization of the peninsula has been a longtime goal of the United States. To do this, the author advises we strategize and implement ways to choke off North Korea's ability to generate revenue for the regime and development of their nuclear weapons.
According to the former director of national intelligence, James Clapper, the US should invest in information dissemination programs in North Korea. He lamented that we had a limited means to satisfy the North Korean's "hunger for information."
Further, "access to more information gives North Korean people the agency, self-determination, and knowledge to write their own future and destiny as a nation."
These ideas are great in theory, but in practice we know it's almost impossible to get any information over there. I would've liked to hear more practical ideas on how to enable educational information to the people of North Korea, as self education and access to information are crucial to human evolution, and would be the necessary first step for a path towards a brighter future.
melhara's review against another edition
4.0
[b:Becoming Kim Jong Un|50716468|Becoming Kim Jong Un A Former CIA Officer's Insights into North Korea's Enigmatic Young Dictator|Jung H. Pak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580332615l/50716468._SY75_.jpg|73378078] offered some interesting information about the history of North Korea and Kim Jung Un's upbringing and dictatorship.
Although much of the background information wasn't new to me (the book quoted excerpts from many books and articles that I've already read), I still found most of it quite interesting. I was particularly interested in the parts that discussed North Korea's relationship with other countries, and in the careful analysis of Kim's decision making and behaviour.
For me though, the most interesting part of the book was the second half, which was essentially about Kim Jung Un vs. Donald Trump. I felt like the second half of the book criticized Trump more than it did Kim. The pissing match between Trump and Kim was both funny and terrifying.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9967031/Screen_Shot_2018_01_02_at_9.16.45_PM.png)
***#18 of my 2021 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge - Read a book by/about a non-Western world leader***
Although much of the background information wasn't new to me (the book quoted excerpts from many books and articles that I've already read), I still found most of it quite interesting. I was particularly interested in the parts that discussed North Korea's relationship with other countries, and in the careful analysis of Kim's decision making and behaviour.
For me though, the most interesting part of the book was the second half, which was essentially about Kim Jung Un vs. Donald Trump. I felt like the second half of the book criticized Trump more than it did Kim. The pissing match between Trump and Kim was both funny and terrifying.
***#18 of my 2021 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge - Read a book by/about a non-Western world leader***
brittmariasbooks's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.5
Interesting book on Kim Jong Un as well as his family.
chyneyee's review against another edition
challenging
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.0
Personally, the book wasn't what I expected, or maybe I misunderstood its purpose. I was hoping for something more about Kim Jong Un's life or more in-depth biography about him, which seems impossible when thinking about it. Maybe I'd read quite a decent amount of information about North Korea, and I was expecting more than just a surface. However, it's not a badly written book, and it's worth reading for those interested in Kim Jong Un's background and leadership style.
Book Review: Becoming Kim Jong Un by Jung H. Pak.
Book Review: Becoming Kim Jong Un by Jung H. Pak.