14

Recently, someone claimed while talking to me that North Korea said that Kim Jong-il never needed to poop.

Is there any evidence that this claim is true, such as an Internet Archive page? I have found an unsourced Guardian article, and while I generally trust them, this seems very outlandish. CBS also says that "It is reported that Kim's official biography on the North Korean state web site, which has since been taken down" says this, but seems to come from another source and has no links to screenshots or archives of the site. Less seemingly trustworthy sources, such as Newser, have this unsourced.

Is there any screenshot or archive of this supposed page on North Korea's website, or claims by defectors that this lie was taught by the regime?

|improve this question
  • 1
    For those wondering, the Guardian article (December 2011) predates the 2014 movie The Interview, which talked about one leader not defecating (though this isn't mentioned in the Wikipedia article). – Andrew Grimm Apr 23 at 3:41
  • 2
    FWIW, the English edition of Kim Jong-Il's official biography, allegedly dated 1998, is available on the DPRK's official web page and does as far as I can see not contain anything about his digestive actitivites. The biography may of course have been updated or the English edition differ from the Korean edition: korea-dpr.info/lib/103.pdf – Tor-Einar Jarnbjo Apr 23 at 14:32
  • The British Queen is kinda similar, in that none of her staff ever mention her bathroom habits and instead refer to her doing other activities. So if you ask them directly they won't confirm she ever takes a dump, which became a running joke/meme in some parts of the British press (and Spiting Image if I recall). – dont_shog_me_bro May 31 at 11:07
0

Kang Chol-hwan, a North Korean defector, confirms this in his biography 'The Aquariums of Pyongyang'

The specific quote is

To my childish eyes and to those of all my friends, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il were perfect beings, untarnished by any base human function. I was convinced, as we all were, that neither of them urinated or defecated. Who could imagine such things of gods?

Chol-hwan Kang and Pierre Rigoulot (2005). The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag, Basic Books, p. 3. ISBN 0-465-01104-7.

|improve this answer
  • 13
    But that doesn't confirm the claim. That says that a child believed that they did not defecate, not that the government was officially saying so. – Brythan Apr 29 at 17:27
  • 1
    This doesn't address the propaganda question directly. Yet it suggests that the specific belief was widespread, and that's something that doesn't usually happen out of thin air. It's a belief that isn't held by pretty much anybody anywhere else about anybody else. – Hitch-22 Apr 29 at 18:58
  • 5
    I disagree — it's plausible that a child would come up with this out of thin air. Presumably some British children believe the Queen doesn't defecate. – Avery May 4 at 0:59
  • @Brythan - I read that as a hyperbolic characterization of the hype and the level of belief - kind of like "walks on water," or "their poo doesn't stink" - not actually making that claim, generally, when those claims are made. Which does not refute what you say, but a different twist on it. – PoloHoleSet May 30 at 20:38

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .