Exit Emperor Kim Jong-Il: Notes from His Former Mentor

This is quite a unique book about Kim jong-il (not the current leader, which is Kim jong-un).The author has used contacts from North Korean defectors that interacted directly with the dictator and his inner circle. He comes across as a spoilt child in his younger years that had tunnel vision for one thing...power.He was utterly ruthless with no regard to anyone other than what he wants all the time. He ends up trying to buy friendship by giving expensive gifts at personal parties and changing his mind on a whim that gets others killed, tortured or at the very best demoted.On the one hand he is exceptional at controlling everything...on the other he is wildly unpredictable with many faces depending on who you are and situation you are in with him.This book examines these perspectives to try and give an insight into this complex, spoilt, lonely power hungry little man. It explains why North Korea is so messed up....it all boils down to this one individual being utterly selfish. Power corrupts indeed,It’s a very good book, interesting reading and the author has years of connections to insiders that have told their story. We’ll never find out the true stories but this book may answer some questions you ask yourself about jong-il.

I very informative and readable biography of the life of a man shrouded in myth. This book relies heavily on the testimony of defectors, many close to the Kim family, giving an overview of Kim Jong Il's political career and family life. It also uses a number of public speeches and statements by both Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung, over all very enlightening.

Ive read more than 30 books on North Korea and this offers fresh insight from the North Korean perspective that I had not found in any other book. Some events which had been barely touched in other books are clearly and convincingly explained here. A worthy addition to a set of books which are certainly of variable quality as a range. Recommended!

excellent book, very informative, give you a good insight into N. Korea regime. must read for everyone who is interested in what's going on in hermit kingdom

"Exit Emperor Kim Jong-il" by John H. Cha is a remarkable look into the rule of Kim Jong-il and the power struggle that occurred between him and his father, Kim Il-Sung. This is all written through the experience of North Korean philosopher, international Secretariat and head of Kim Il-Sung University and mentor to Jong-il, Hwang Jang-yop. Hwang was like a right-hand man to Kim Jong-il and was always available to him. After 30 years working for Kim, Hwang Jang-yop defected to South Korea.This is an excellent book that discusses the greed for power that Kim Jong-il had and the power struggle that he and his father, Kim Il-Sung had. Jong-il wanted the dictator's role passed down to him in the worst way and took his own steps in actually ruling alongside his father unbeknownst to Kim Il-Sung. Jong-il had his own agenda and did have the advantage of having ten years to learn the ropes before his father died. When Kim-Jong-un received the leadership role, he had no time before his father died to be groomed for the role and to learn ten years' worth of instructions. His oldest brother would have inherited the dictator's role but he didn't want it because he was more interested in the fun life of bars, motorcycles and girls. Traditionally in Korea, the job is passed down to the oldest son.The book gets into the wives, sisters, mothers of these men and also Hwang's ideas about how to better the lives of the North Korean people, but his excellent thinking fell on deaf ears, thus his defection. Assassins were sent to South Korea but were unsuccessful in their mission to kill him. That seems to be the way of the Kim dynasty. Play the game their way and all is well, but disagree with them and people disappear forever.My recommendation is high for this biography because of Hwang's closeness to the inner workings of the North Korean dictatorship and his knowledge of the Kim family. They may say that North Korea is a most wonderful place to live, but its modern history is grim, indeed.