Jonathan Cheng: The Christian roots of North Korea’s personality cult
North Korea News Podcast by NK NewsShow Notes
NK News founder Chad O’Carroll begins this week’s episode by discussing the death of North Korea’s longtime representative to the International Olympic Committee, a South Korean helicopter’s accidental flight into the demilitarized zone during a firefighting mission and Seoul’s expression of regret over civilian drone incursions.
In the second half, Jonathan Cheng, the China bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, joins the podcast to discuss his new book on how Christian practice and symbolism may have influenced the development of the DPRK’s leadership cult, particularly through Kim Il Sung’s early exposure to Christianity in Pyongyang.
He argues that while North Korea’s system incorporates multiple influences, this religious dimension offers an important lens for understanding the Kim regime’s structure and enduring features.
Jonathan Cheng is the China bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal and was previously the Korea bureau chief, running coverage of the Korean Peninsula. He is the author of “Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea's Personality Cult.”
About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.
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Editor’s note: This interview was recorded in July 2026. Some references to recent events and political developments reflect the situation at the time of recording and may differ from subsequent developments.
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