When I had the odd fortune of visiting North Korea with Gov. Bill Richardson last year, Kim didn’t show up for our meeting either. Naturally, I assumed it was because my jump-shot wasn’t good enough. But the Governor and I did have a meeting with Kim’s father and grandfather, Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung, on the exact spot where Kim Jong Un was a no show on Friday morning: standing next to the embalmed bodies of the former leaders in their mausoleum, the Kamsusan Palace of the Sun.
Standing so close to so infamous a duo looking so lifelike—Madame Tussaud’s got nothing on North Korea’s embalmers—and being surrounded by military police paying their respects reinforces the idea that North Korea’s leaders aren’t mere heads of state but religious figures who won’t be forgotten as time goes by. And depending on which North Korea-watcher you ask, it’s fair to say that even if the youngest Kim has passed from this mortal realm, it’s not likely much would change. Let’s not forget that when Kim took power a couple years ago, optimism that he would reach out to the West in ways his ancestors hadn’t was quickly eclipsed by the sound of saber-rattling, nuclear tests powering up, and missiles being redirected toward the South.
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