All Monsters Must Die

In 1948, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea is founded by General Kim Il-sung. In 1978, North Korea celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of its founding, and Kim Jong-il, who at the time is the head of the Propaganda and Agitation Department, orders the kidnapping of the greatest South Korean movie star, the actress Madame Choi, and her ex-husband, the famous film director Shin Sang-ok. In 2008, North Korea celebrates its sixtieth anniversary, and Magnus Brts and Fredrik Ekman take a bizarre, heavily guided tour to the worlds most isolated country. In All Monster Must Die, authors Magnus Brts and Fredrik Ekman weave together these three stories to create a mosaic of North Korea, past and present: from the Japanese occupation to the demarcation of the border at the 38th parallel and the Korean War, the development of North Korean Juche ideology, the establishment of the Kim dynastys cult of personality, and the aggressive manufacturing of political propaganda, which motivated the kidnapping of South Koreas most famous film couple. Intelligent and shocking, this book offers a rare and fascinating window into the hermit kingdom, and includes an updated chapter on the passing of Kim Jong-il and the declaration of his son, Kim Jong-un, as supreme leader.