North Korean cult of personality
The North Korean cult of personality surrounding the Kim family has existed in North Korea for decades and can be found in many examples of North Korean culture. Although not acknowledged by the North Korean government, many defectors and Western visitors state there are often stiff penalties for those who criticize or do not show "proper" respect for the former leaders of the country, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, officially referred to as "eternal leaders of Korea". The personality cult began soon after Kim Il Sung took power in 1948, and was greatly expanded after his death in 1994.
The Mansudae Grand Monument in Pyongyang in 2014 depicting Kim Il Sung (left) and Kim Jong Il (right), with visitors paying homage to the statues.
Murals of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at Jangdae hill in Pyongyang
Image shown during an Arirang Festival
A mural of Kim Il Sung giving a speech in Pyongyang
A cult of personality, or a cult of the leader, is the result of an effort which is made to create an idealized and heroic image of a glorious leader, often through unquestioning flattery and praise. Historically, it has developed through techniques of mass media, propaganda, spectacle, the arts, patriotism, and government-organized demonstrations and rallies. A cult of personality is similar to apotheosis, except that it is established by modern social engineering techniques, usually by the state or the party in one-party states and dominant-party states. Cults of personality often accompany the leaders of totalitarian or authoritarian governments. They can also be seen in some monarchies, theocracies, failed democracies and even in liberal democracies.
Augustus of Prima Porta, 1st century CE
1859 carte de visite of Napoleon III by Disdéri, which popularized the carte-de-visite format
Statue of Syrian dictator Hafez al-Assad, who is revered as their Al-Abad (Immortal Leader) by followers of Syrian Ba'athism
"Smith of the New Great Argentina" (poster 1947)