There's big news in the world of North Korean fiction! A once-in-a-generation event!
The Korean Writers Union has finally released the first novel in the official biography series for third-generation leader Kim Jong Un, and with it has announced the name of the new series.
As all worthy fans of North Korean literature know, for decades there have been two series of novels, or 총서, that represent the apex of the party's literary canon. Only the very créme de la créme of KWU authors are permitted to contribute novels to these series:
- 불멸의 력사 (The Imperishable History)
- 불멸의 향도 (The Imperishable Leadership)
The first series depicts events in the life of Kim Il Sung, beginning with the novel 1932 published way back in 1972, and includes the novel Eternal Life featured elsewhere in this blog. The latter series does the same for Kim Jong Il, beginning with the novel Morning Sun (아침해) published in 1988, and currently comprises 36 novels including blog favorites Great Flow of History and 2009.
Doing the math, we find that second-generation leader Kim Jong Il's series began publishing six years before he took over as leader, but eight years after he was informally anointed successor.
Kim Jong Un's ascent to leadership was much more precipitous, so it makes sense that his series would not begin right away. But fully ten years after he was declared the successor and nearly nine years after he inherited leadership, I was beginning to wonder if it would appear at all. My sources tell me that as recently as 2015, the word on the Pyongyang street was that KJU had opposed having his own novel series, on account of he's so humble.
But at last, the big moment is here. The title of the third-generation leadership series of biographical novels is....
.... drumroll....
.... drumroll....
.... drumroll....
💂💃💪 불멸의 려정 👯💥👽＊
...which I am going to translate as "The Imperishable Journey."
The first book in the series is entitled 부흥, which is one of the big slogans of the KJU era and means "revival" or "revitalization."
The publication was announced on various North Korean print and online media last month, with statements implicitly connecting it to the 75th KWP founding celebrations. The formal KCTV announcement can be viewed here.
Its author is none other than Paek Nam Nyong, whose novel Friend was recently translated and published in English by Immanuel Kim, and who is probably the most internationally well-known North Korean author. Paek also previously authored four novels in the Imperishable Leadership series including 야전열차, which tells the story of Kim Jong Il's final year.
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| Star novelist Paek Nam Nyong with Immanuel Kim in 2015. Src: VOA |
It will likely be some time before I can acquire a copy of 부흥 and review it for you, my devoted readers. But judging from the KWP media reports, it appears to focus on KJU's early education reforms and certain technical projects.
I guess it was too much to hope that the author of Friend would pen a buddy-comedy of Trump and KJU tearing around Singapore together in the Beast, evading their security details and causing general mayhem. He could've titled it Friend II: 2 Fiery 2 Furious!
＊emojis added for emphasis
