Bringing curtains down on the decades-old myth about their leaders possessing magical powers to contract space, North Korean media today revealed that their 'untraceable' leader Kim Jong Un doesn't possess 'chukjibeop', a magical power helping him bend time and space.
As reported earlier, Kim, who has once again gone missing for nearly 20 days now, made his last public appearance during an inauguration ceremony of a fertilizer plant on May 1. The North Korean state media had released the pictures of the ceremony featuring their Supreme leader, laughing and mingling with people. However, doubts were released over the authenticity of the pictures and theories regarding the hermit kingdom using Kim's body double ran wild.
Chukibeop and its Association With the Kim Dynasty
For the longest period now, North Koreas believed in the legendary power of chukjibeop possessed by their founder leader Kim Il-sung and his successor late leader Kim Jong-il. Chukjibeop, a term derived from Korean-language means 'distance-shrinking magic' and refers to a hypothetical method of contracting physical distance. It is similar to supernatural speed or teleportation.
Yonhap News reported about an article published in Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea's ruling party, denying that Kim Jong Un can practice "chukjibeop," a hypothetical method of folding space and traveling far distances in a short period of time that has been used by the North to deify its leaders. The article published on Wednesday stated: "In realistic terms, a person cannot suddenly disappear and reappear by folding space."
Kim Jong Un Had Asked His People to Stop Mystifying Him
The public acceptance by the state media hints at a major change undergoing in the hermit kingdom. An unnamed official at South Korea's unification ministry was quoted by the publication stating that this new trend of the North Korean leader rejecting the mystification of his forefathers is noteworthy. "It appears to stress patriotism and love for the people rather than mystification of the leaders. We will further analyze its implications," the official said.
It may be recalled that following the failed summit between North Korea and the US in Hanoi last year, Kim Jong Un had urged its people to stay away from the mystification of their leader. "Mystifying a leader's revolutionary activity and appearance would result in covering the truth. Absolute loyalty would spring up when (they) are mesmerized by the leader humanly and comradely," the state media had quoted Kim.
