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Kim Jong Un during a military parade in Pyongyang on October 10: "Surveillance and repression have increased"
Photo: STR / KCTV / AFP
SPIEGEL
: The North Korean regime presented threatening weapon systems at a major military parade a few days ago - including a new ICBM.
But ruler Kim Jong Un was noticeably cautious in his speech.
How does that fit together?
About Jieun Baek
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Jieun Baek
, 33, works at the Center for Technology and Global Affairs at Oxford University.
She graduated from Harvard University.
She has been fascinated by North Korea for years: as a project manager at Google, she was already concerned with the question of how technological progress can be used to inform people in North Korea about the outside world.
In 2016 her book "North Korea's Hidden Revolution: How the Information Underground is Transforming a Closed Society" was published.
Baek
: The revelation of new military technology and the reluctance to demonstrate at the same time was unusual.
My guess: Kim wants to signal that the North Korean military is still a power that the world should reckon with.
SPIEGEL
: Kim Jong Un was close to tears during his speech.
What is behind such an appearance?
Baek
: That was surprising - especially that he apologized for the difficult living conditions in his country.
The world should not be fooled into thinking that Kim Jong Un is a benevolent dictator who weeps and shows compassion for his citizens.
It's rather the opposite.
His people do not even have a minimum of human rights.
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