Paul French is the bestselling author of the historical murder mystery, Midnight in Peking, and many other books about people and historical events in China. He has visited North Korea several times, and written the book North Korea: State of Paranoia, and a Kindle Special titled Our Supreme Leader: The Making of Kim Jong-un. Paul also presented the BBC radio drama documentary, The Defectors, about people who have fled the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), as its rulers like to call it.

We discussed what rhymes with the U.S.A. in 2025 in North Korean history, from the country’s founding at the end of the Korean War in 1953, and the subsequent rule of the Kim dynasty: Kim Il-sung who ruled until 1994; Kim Jong-il, who ruled until 2011; and Kim Jong-un, who still runs the country.

The Rhyming Chaos podcast is produced by Jeremy Goldkorn, and edited by Cadre Scripts. The theme music is Paper Boy, composed and performed on the guzheng by Wu Fei. Our closing music is Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie No. 1, arranged and performed by Wu Fei. Our cover art is by Li Yunfei.

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