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CNN Sunday Morning
Profile of Kim Jong-Il
Aired December 29, 2002 - 08:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: The key player in the bubbling nuclear crisis with Pyongyang is Kim Jong-Il, a man who inherited his power and is using an iron fist to hang on to it. Our Rebecca MacKinnon profiles the North Korean leader.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Born to power, Kim Jong-Il was groomed from an early age to succeed his father, Kim Il Sung. In his younger days, he was actively involved with North Korea's state-run movie studio. North Korean defectors described him as a playboy.
Kim Jong-Il was catapulted to leadership and into the world spotlight with his father's death in 1994. Many outsiders doubted he could hold on to power, but he has despite a famine that began in the mid '90s, that international agencies say has killed at least two million North Koreans.
Kim realized international food aid would not be enough to keep his nation afloat. His neighbor, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, advised him to open up with Chinese-style economic reforms. North Korea doesn't always take China's advice, but this was something Kim considered.
And so, in the year 2000, Kim Jong-Il welcomed South Korean President Kim Dae Jung on a historic visit to Pyongyang. The two leaders agreed to set up transportation and economic ties. Kim Yoon Kyu, president of the South Korean company, Hyundai/Assan (ph), has been trying to do business in North Korea and met Kim Jong-Il several times.
KIM YOON KYU, CHAIRMAN HYNDAI: Sometimes he mentioned about the shortage of food or the difficulty of farmer, and then some difficulty of operating the factory or something like that.
MACKINNON: But Kim faced a dilemma. More outside business contact would bring money, but also new ideas, and might cause North Korea's isolated population to question his regime.
WENDY SHERMAN, FORMER CLINTON ADVISOR: He knows that he has a very difficult situation on his hands, but he very much wants to stay in control. And he is absolutely, I believe, in control in his country.
MACKINNON: Such was the impression of U.S. officials who accompanied former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on a visit to North Korea at the end of the Clinton administration. But their efforts to draw Kim out of his shell by engaging him ended when President George W. Bush took office. South Koreans in contact with Kim at the time say he failed to understand what had happened in Washington.
CHUNG-IL MOON, YOUSEI UNIVERSITY: Kim Jung Il was complaining. He was complaining, that I don't understand the U.S. I don't. Why the change of the government should bring about the change of policies?
MACKINNON: Now, Kim is restarting the Yangbyang Nuclear Power Facility, which his father agreed to freeze in 1994. Observers say that from Kim's perspective, this is a rational act.
MACKINNON (on camera): Rational, because based on his recent statements, it appears that Kim believes he's fighting for his regime's very survival and if Washington won't talk to him, it must want to destroy him. Which means, that from Kim's perspective, he has very little to lose.
Rebecca MacKinnon, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 29, 2002 - 08:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: The key player in the bubbling nuclear crisis with Pyongyang is Kim Jong-Il, a man who inherited his power and is using an iron fist to hang on to it. Our Rebecca MacKinnon profiles the North Korean leader.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Born to power, Kim Jong-Il was groomed from an early age to succeed his father, Kim Il Sung. In his younger days, he was actively involved with North Korea's state-run movie studio. North Korean defectors described him as a playboy.
Kim Jong-Il was catapulted to leadership and into the world spotlight with his father's death in 1994. Many outsiders doubted he could hold on to power, but he has despite a famine that began in the mid '90s, that international agencies say has killed at least two million North Koreans.
Kim realized international food aid would not be enough to keep his nation afloat. His neighbor, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, advised him to open up with Chinese-style economic reforms. North Korea doesn't always take China's advice, but this was something Kim considered.
And so, in the year 2000, Kim Jong-Il welcomed South Korean President Kim Dae Jung on a historic visit to Pyongyang. The two leaders agreed to set up transportation and economic ties. Kim Yoon Kyu, president of the South Korean company, Hyundai/Assan (ph), has been trying to do business in North Korea and met Kim Jong-Il several times.
KIM YOON KYU, CHAIRMAN HYNDAI: Sometimes he mentioned about the shortage of food or the difficulty of farmer, and then some difficulty of operating the factory or something like that.
MACKINNON: But Kim faced a dilemma. More outside business contact would bring money, but also new ideas, and might cause North Korea's isolated population to question his regime.
WENDY SHERMAN, FORMER CLINTON ADVISOR: He knows that he has a very difficult situation on his hands, but he very much wants to stay in control. And he is absolutely, I believe, in control in his country.
MACKINNON: Such was the impression of U.S. officials who accompanied former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on a visit to North Korea at the end of the Clinton administration. But their efforts to draw Kim out of his shell by engaging him ended when President George W. Bush took office. South Koreans in contact with Kim at the time say he failed to understand what had happened in Washington.
CHUNG-IL MOON, YOUSEI UNIVERSITY: Kim Jung Il was complaining. He was complaining, that I don't understand the U.S. I don't. Why the change of the government should bring about the change of policies?
MACKINNON: Now, Kim is restarting the Yangbyang Nuclear Power Facility, which his father agreed to freeze in 1994. Observers say that from Kim's perspective, this is a rational act.
MACKINNON (on camera): Rational, because based on his recent statements, it appears that Kim believes he's fighting for his regime's very survival and if Washington won't talk to him, it must want to destroy him. Which means, that from Kim's perspective, he has very little to lose.
Rebecca MacKinnon, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
