3 Takeaways

The Religious Cult Behind North Korea’s Power (#303)

May 26, 2026·19 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

We think of North Korea as a communist dictatorship. But Jonathan Cheng, the Wall Street Journal’s China Bureau Chief and former Korea Bureau Chief, says that misses the real story. He argues North Korea functions more like a religion - complete with rituals, worship, and a ruling family treated like immortals. Once you hear it, you can’t unsee it. His new book is Korean Messiah.

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