One of the things about history is that it's never simple and never black and white as the mass media likes to spin it.
One prime example is how the western media portrays Kim Il Sung and the regime he started which continues to plague North Korea today. Although I will be the first to admit that the current North Korean regime is absolutely an Orwellian nightmare that should no longer exist in the world we live in today, I'd also like to point out that it wasn't entirely so and that the "evil" Kim Il Sung might not be as evil as you think.
We have a tendency, especially those of us who live in the western world, to judge other countries or societies based on our standards in the present. That is, we don't take into account the time period in which historical events occurred.
I'm not going to dwelve into a biography of Kim Il Sung and the history of how North and South Korea came to be, you can look up wikipedia for that. I'd like to point out some key facts that should be pondered.
Today, we tend to view free democratic South Koreans as the "good guys" and the dictatorship North Korea as evil incarnate. It may surprise readers that the first rulers of South Korea were actually former imperial Japanese officers. Park Chung Hee who is often credited as the creator of South Korea was a former military officer who betrayed his native country and fought on behalf of the Imperial Japanese forces.
It is also worthy to note that many of the first rulers of North Korea including Kim Il Sung were former anti-Japanese guerillas who fought against the occupying Japanese forces. They were known as freedom fighters to the Koreans and were admired by not just Koreans but Chinese and Russians as well for their bravery and tenacity in battle.
Why is this significant? First of all, a little background. The Japanese invaded Korea and made it into their colony in the early 20th century. Koreans hated the Japanese for it but had no real way of fighting back. Many koreans such as the aforementioned Park Chung Hee pretty much lost hope that Korea would be liberated again and so joined the Japanese. In fact, many koreans did so.
Then there were the Koreans who actually fought back. Many of these Koreans were ones who fled Korea to China or ethnic Koreans who lived in China. Amongst these was Kim Il Sung and his family. He was part of the Northeastern Anti-Japanese Army which was founded by the Chinese Communists. He was a charismatic, intelligent, and brave commander and he led daring guerilla attacks against Japanese forces including one in which he actually captured a North Korean village. This was a big thing because at the time, China and Korea were hopelessly ill-matched against the modern, sophisticated Japanese armed forces and so minor victories like these were very awe-inspiring. Also, he was one of the few Koreans at the time who were actively fighting back. Very significant for a country who had been occupied and under the process of being colonized by the Japanese.
Kim Il Sung quickly rose through the ranks and eventually became the commander of an entire division consisting of Chinese and Korean soldiers. His exploits and quotes are recorded in Chinese historical archives so there is proof of this history.
Compare this with Park Chung Hee who later on established pretty much a dictatorship in South Korea. Both men were dictators essentially. In fact, South Korea did not really become a democratic nation until well into the 1980s. It is also worthy to note that until the 1960s, North Korea had a higher GDP and higher living standard than South Korea. The famines and poverty that persists in North Korea today did not really start occuring until the 1990s. Before that, North Koreans were well-fed, productive and free from mismanagement and corruption.
Kim Il Sung should also be given credit for when credit is due. He was perhaps the highest ranking Korean army officer who actively fought against the Japanese and at many times risked his life and endured extreme hardships in doing so. He skillfully maneuvered between the Chinese and Soviets all in favor of Korean interests and establishing a Korea free from Japanese rule. Although he did not single-handedly establish North Korea, it was through his skillful diplomatic skills in dealing with the Chinese and Soviets that made it possible.
Kim Il Sung, like most historical figures, was a product of the times in which he lived. He lived during a time when Japan was rampaging across Asia trying to build an imperial empire and not the hardworking, industrious country that we know today which makes high quality cars and electronics. Communism at the time was also not regarded as evil and many people even those who lived in the west sympathasized towards its ideals. It was a fashionable "new" thing that many felt was the answer to the capitalism which had let down society. The memories of the Great Depression era was still fresh in the minds of most people.
It is sad and tragic that Kim Il Sung later on fell in love with his own ego and image and established a regime that would bring such misery to his people. I question that this was his intention and I truly believe his goals were pure initially. But as with all men who attain power, corruption wins in the day. This occurs even in western democracies. However, the difference is that with him as the sole ruler of North Korea, there was no one to challenge him and correct his wrongdoings whereas in a democracy, someone like that would just be removed from power and forced into early retirement.
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