The Dear Leader’s secret stay in Malta
He took the country’s reins in 1994, succeeding his father, the founder of Communist North Korea, but Kim Jong-il’s grooming as the “Dear Leader” started years before and included a Maltese twist.
Mr Kim’s death was announced yesterday by North Korea’s state television.
He is reported to have died aged 69 from a heart attack on Saturday and will be succeeded by his son Kim Jong-un, who is in his 20s.
Unlike his son, who was only introduced to the world as his successor last year, Mr Kim’s ascendancy to the top was a lengthy journey under the wings of his revered father Kim-il Sung.
Little is known of Mr Kim – he led the world’s most oppressive and secretive country, where the state controls every aspect of private and public life.
But in the 1970s, Mr Kim was in Malta to learn English, possibly as part of an exchange that included a secret agreement between the Labour government and the North Korean regime for the provision of military training and weapons.
No official documentation exists of Mr Kim’s Malta stopover and any past attempts to coax comments from government officials at the time has always been met with cynicism.
His English teacher at the time, University professor Daniel Massa, recalls a jovial character, who was motivated to learn.
The picture Prof. Massa paints is far removed from the image of a stupid man often portrayed by the South Korean media, even if Mr Kim’s vanity and playboy attitude are documented by diplomats who have met him.
“I used to teach him on a one-to-one basis and it was all about situational English; learning the right words and sentences for particular day-to-day situations,” Prof. Massa says.The teaching lasted for a whole academic year but Prof. Massa added initially he was not aware who Mr Kim was. A group of seven North Korean students had come to learn English in Malta but Mr Kim did not take his lessons with the rest and was instead assigned to Prof. Massa.
“I only got to know who he was when somebody pointed out that Korean security agents were standing outside my office window and door while I used to teach him,” he recalls.
Learning of Mr Kim’s high profile did little to change Prof. Massa’s attitude. He continued teaching North Korea’s future leader like any other student.
Known for his fondness of gourmet food and drink, especially cognac, Mr Kim did give an early warning in the 1970s of his weaknesses, as Prof. Massa attests.
“He used to become irritable when hungry, especially when lessons overstepped their time limit and impinged on his lunch break.”
In very typical North Korean style little else is known about Mr Kim’s Malta stay almost 40 years ago but this comes as no surprise because not much more is known about the reclusive leader in his death.
Mr Kim’s funeral is expected to take place on December 28.
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Bill Khan
Dec 21st 2011, 18:23
@Angelao Vassalo
Luckily Mr. Vaasalo, Dom Mintof did not succeed and today Malta is a much better place.
No more socialism no more gaddafi or Kim Il sung. Today malta is a part of a much bigger and stronger community EU. But surely the old man must have done some good for malta some where along the line?
Christian Sciberras
Dec 21st 2011, 22:47
Well said, I suppose. Dom Mintoff did put Malta a couple of inches up the scale...even if his ideals where wrong from ground up at the time.
Ramon Mangion
Dec 21st 2011, 08:27
iktar ma naqra l-kummenti f'dan is-sit , iktar ninduna kemm hawn dwejjaq f'dan il-pajjiz, fejn kullhadd mohhu biex jeqred. Kien Malta fis 70's mhux xorta ? x 'differenza ghamlilkhom ? Mela irilassaw u komplu l-gurnata , ahsbu fil-Milied u festi u mhux fil-paroli fil-vojt li hawn fuq PL, PN etc...
Giovann Demartino
Dec 21st 2011, 16:15
Dwejjaq f'dan il-pajjiz? Mela int tkejjel lil kulhadd b'xibrek?
R. Gauci
Dec 21st 2011, 01:47
Kollox irid jittiehed fil-kuntest tieghu, 40 sena ilu Malta kien pajjiz fqir, kien ghadu fil-bidu tal-mixja lejn l-istabilita' li ngawdu llum. Facli llum inlabalbu u nitkazaw ghax konnha hbieb ma Gaddafi jew Kim il Sung, meta tkun bil-guh kollox tajjeb basta tiekol mbaghad nammettu, 40 sena ilu x'konnha nafu fuqhom dawn in-nies? Mintoff ghamel tajjeb li uza lil dawn ir-regimi biex sahhah il-finanzi ta' pajjizna, billi gie ha naqra privat f'Malta u pajjizu ramawlna l-armata taghna b'xejn ma nahsibx li kien xi skandlu. Dejjem ahjar milli thalli lill-poplu bil-guh u tallab kif kien ghamel il-PN qabel MIntoff, min dejjquh il-Libjani u l-koreani messhu fetah idejh hu dakinhar .... illum facli jlabalbu.
Cecil Herbert Jones
Dec 20th 2011, 21:06
Amazing how voices utter sounds AFTER the demise of rotten situations or rotten people.....but not BEFORE! This indicates how retrospective Malta's Politics IS! Is there anyone out there who is looking at the FUTURE? I don't doubt there is NOT!
THIS is the blueprint that stains our elections. WE vote on the past in order to elect someone who will keep looking (vision) at the PAST!
And you want to convince me to trust YOU with MY FUTURE?!
Angelo Vassallo
Dec 20th 2011, 17:35
@ P Buhagiar
Dom Mintoff was aware of the undemocratic situation created in Malta immediately after the perverse result of the 1981 election. To be fair, he wanted to hold immediately another election, but those around him that day, people who are still around and in parliament today, made a lot of pressure on Mintoff and he subdued to it. The great "Salvatur" could not save the country from what had to be the blackest time in Maltese modern history.
Mintoff a champion of democracy my "foot". I do not know if I should laugh or cry after a statement like that. He nearly turned Malta into a dictatorship and himself into a dictator with the Maltese terrified by all the tugs and police.
Example, exactly 25 years ago, December 1986, "tal-Barrani, Gudja killing of Raymond Caruana and the frame-up of Pietru Pawl Busuttil. This is the PL HISTORY in the last 30 years.
Jonathan Cauchi
Dec 20th 2011, 18:31
then why did not fenech adami say who it was really? ... he said he knew, look it up on youtube there is even a video
R. Abela
Dec 20th 2011, 21:38
After the 1981 election pervers result, where Mintoff won DEMOCRITALLY the election with the majority of seats with less votes than PN, 'the same where George Bush in 2000 won more districts with less votes to his rivals', the USA people, journalists and the whole world media accepted the results, because thats what it says the costituition of USA, but way back to 1981 elections, EFA did not accepted the results, and embarked on a different way, by introducing the famous of all time the frase ' DIZOBBIDJENZA CIVILI'. From 1981 onwards strange things started to happen in this country. Bombs, frame-ups, boycotts, distruction of the Luqa aiport arrival longe, mass meetings every weekend, annoying the police forces and the AFM with extra work, and finally encouraging foreign investors to withdraw their investment from Malta. The only motive of PN at that time was to destroy the REAL GOOD FACTOR where a couple earning the minimum wage can afford to build a terraced house, which looks more like a small villa, and get married without a single lira debt. To have a fight you need to parties, one who teas in the dark and the other party to punch in the daylight. One important thing that PN forget to mention in the commoration from the 25 years of the killing of Raymond Caruana is that the day after, on Saturday 6 december 1986, Malta had to play an important football match against Italy at ta Qali grounds, and a lot of foreign italian journalist, apart from the game itself wanted to write something about our country, as usual journalist do when they visit other countries.
Alfred Fenech
Dec 21st 2011, 10:51
All dictators are rotten eggs, they are all garbage.
Ms.D. Galea
Dec 20th 2011, 16:00
Another Jurassic-era tyrant bites the dust.
Who's next?
Angelo Vassallo
Dec 20th 2011, 14:42
@ Saviour M Garzia
Yes presently there are hundreds of foreign students learning in our University and they MAY ( not necessarily) in future beome dictators, rapist, murders etc. No foreign student in Malta today is here on secret missions. This was very different. At that time, this was kept like a state secret. Eventually we all knew who the person was and what he would have eventually become in the future.
In the 1970's we were friends with ALL $the totalitarian (dictators) governments in the world. And we were moving very fast in that direction. Malta nearly became a dictatorship. Don’t you agree Mr. Garcia? Can you infact critizise your own PL?
P Buħaġiar
Dec 20th 2011, 14:30
For all those who post negative comments on our Ex labour PM's. Dom Mintoff for my opinion He ruled this country to the last dot of the costituition, even the 1981 election was democratically to the costituition laws. The same happened in 1971 when labour get 51% of votes but luckily he won the election only for 7 votes on the 7 disctrict of Hal-Qormi, and get only 1 seat majority, but the PN refused to accept the results and asked the electoral commissioner to recount the votes again and again irrispective of the majority. Dom Mintoff was aware of this situation, and in 1986 asked the parlament to change the costituition. In 1998 Dom Mintoff was crucial in overwhelming his goverment, and this proofs that this person is a champion of democracy. For several occasions, the 2 sons of the late dictator Gaddafi were in Malta in these last 20 years, and they hired luxury appartments and accompined whit a lot of armed bodygaurds to there teeth. So with the same yardstick the PN has to respond several questions about these dictators in Malta.
Manuel Mangani
Dec 20th 2011, 13:01
Did not Dom Mintoff clarify, a few years ago, the son of Kim-Il Sung who came to Malta to study English was not Kim Jong Il but one of his (several) half-brothers?
In the 1970s, Kim Jong il was not the one who was being groomed for leadership. Kim il-Sung only "anointed" him after the original candidate for succession fell out of favour.
Jo Camm
Dec 20th 2011, 12:35
"part of an exchange that included a secret agreement between the Labour government and the North Korean regime for the provision of military training and weapons". Was this during the time when Labour were practicing Malta's Neutrality? Or 'indhil barrani'??
J.C. Borg
Dec 20th 2011, 13:01
Can anyone remind me who was the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time?? I just couldn't recall.
Charles Vella
Dec 20th 2011, 12:20
Finally the secret friendship Labour had with these communist dictators has finally come out of the open!
Victor Vella
Dec 20th 2011, 14:12
Even Fenech Adami and a few months ago Gonzi went to kiss and hug dictators. They not come out of the open; they were open to the whole world.
Dominic Fenech
Dec 20th 2011, 11:53
Close to Daniel Massa's office door was a large notice board. For the duration of Kim's tutorial, two Korean men in civvies would be studiously reading the notice board. We knew of course what their interest in the notice board was.
Karl Abela
Dec 20th 2011, 11:32
Labour's foreign policy does not make me proud to be Maltese. It was like this in the past with Dom Mintoff, KMB and Alfred Sant....and I do not see any reason why it should change in the future with George Vella.
John Mifsud
Dec 20th 2011, 14:41
Would you have preferred to see two leaders embracing themselves instead? Would that make you proud to be Maltese?
For your information I am, and was always proud to be Maltese, whoever is leading our country.
Nowadays, people are not so politically gullible as they were back in the 70's & 80's. We can read between the lines. I can see that the election fever is already hitting some people. My interest is in what both political leaders and parties have to offer to ameriolate my standard of living.
Victor Vella
Dec 20th 2011, 15:02
With the same reason I do not feel proud to see Gonzi hugging Gaddafi under the tend for five times! And for this I`m going to change because Gonzi`s foreign policy does not make me proud. I do not like, with your reasoning, neither the past of EFA nor the present of Gonzi when both went to Communist China.
Victor Borg
Dec 20th 2011, 11:29
Every government does what they think is best for the country and some times looking back it could have been better there is no difference between governments. I am sure no one wants his country to suffer.
David Spiteri
Dec 20th 2011, 11:53
100% right! actually the only comment from below that makes sense!
Saviour M Garzia
Dec 20th 2011, 11:26
So this guy was learning English in Malta so what! .If he opted to go to Harvard or Oxford Universities was he going to change? Certainly not!
Presently there are hundreds of foreign students learning in our University so if any of them turn out to be dictators,rapist,murders etc in the future ;would the present Goivernment be blamed? The same happened in the 1970's.
I hate stupid arguments from intelligent people just to praise the party they support. Criticize constructively your own parties so that one day we will have better governments.
Carmel Garcia
Dec 20th 2011, 12:24
Well said Mr Garzia.
William Calleja
Dec 20th 2011, 11:23
Media is full on propaganda mode, riling up the red/blue monkeys to fight each other. Nothing ever changes in this country because of fanatics.
Charles Sammut
Dec 20th 2011, 11:56
I cannot agree with you more! Sometimes I wonder if it's worth my time commenting on here. Whenever I criticise the present regime, I get labelled a PL lover1 The blue blinkered lil' elves and cannot smell the "smoke without fire" ..aka/ unproven corruption....and their justification is " mela, you forget what Labour did 30 years ago and you forget what mintoff did" .....
......and the beat goes on...and the beat goes on........
James Tyrrell
Dec 20th 2011, 13:39
Join the club Charles. I get called a Labour supporter and I don't even live in the country!
Joseph Calleja
Dec 20th 2011, 14:57
You are on the right track Mr Sammut. The beat never stops. Business as usual. Those lil' elves smell the smoke, but refuse to acknowledge that there is a fire.
joseph saliba
Dec 20th 2011, 11:20
"No official documentation exists of Mr Kim’s Malta stopover and any past attempts to coax comments from government officials at the time has always been met with cynicism." Who's talking about transparency?!!
joseph saliba
Dec 20th 2011, 11:17
May God (even if he did not believe in him) grant this man eternal peace.
James Tyrrell
Dec 20th 2011, 13:36
No Joseph, may he rot in hell where he belongs.
J. Abela
Dec 20th 2011, 14:08
I don't wish anyone any harm, but this man and his father starved millions of his people to death (among other atrocities). I'm not sure he's going to have eternal peace.
Charles Grima
Dec 20th 2011, 11:07
Another nutter gone to hell!!!! I recall reading reports of applause for the dictator stretching to 20 minutes because nobody would risk being the first to stop!!!! The prize for stopping would be execution...
This dictator subjugated his people to humiliation, hardship and ignorance....
Alexander Pace Gouder.
Dec 20th 2011, 11:07
Uffa xi dwejjaq taqra dawn il-Kummenti - Some comments with Sense please. Every time a tit for tat between PL and PN Supporters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Philip Pace
Dec 20th 2011, 12:17
Naqbel perfettament mieghek.
Charles Sammut
Dec 20th 2011, 13:29
My dear Alex.....you should be very well aware of the ignorance which abounds in the island in the sun which has been instilled into the populace by both the blue and red parties in order to keep the people divided!
If you have a few minutes to waste you should also peruse the boring bloqs of the stout bocca aka/ i.m.beck and you will further confirm the political ignorance and bias which is so prolific on this piece of rock in the Med!
However,I must warn you, you will read one bloq....and you will not bother to read further!
...and the beat goes on...and the beat goes on.......
David Spiteri
Dec 20th 2011, 10:54
wara kulhadd bravu!
every thing is being done to ridicule the PL/MLP but lets face it --- they are winning the next general election because our leader is ........zZzZzZzzzzZZZZ!
riccardo borg
Dec 20th 2011, 11:36
How do you know?
There's many a slip between a cup and a lip!
David Spiteri
Dec 20th 2011, 12:20
someone need an optician!
Nick Borg
Dec 20th 2011, 13:48
Apparently you do!
Little Jo has to be a little more grown up if he wants to convince anyone he can run a country.
Mr Vella
Dec 20th 2011, 10:44
MLP had very nice friends,Gaddafi, Kim Jong,Nicolae Ceaușescu and all the great dictators.LOL
Victor Laiviera
Dec 20th 2011, 10:50
Vile half-truths and exaggerations - typicalof the PN and its apologists
Nothing will cancel the fact that the last national leader to be seen hugging Gaddafi in public - just days before his own people threw him out - was Lawrence Gonzi.
A Cuschieri
Dec 20th 2011, 11:05
Victor:
And what about Muscat's visit to Libya (being the first time he left Malta on an official visit as PL leader) and the public invite to Gaddafi to come to Malta??
Mark. Galea
Dec 20th 2011, 11:07
@Victor Laiviera
Gonzi went to Libya for oil and gas ... but the old MLP leaders were personal friends of the worst dictators around ... and moreover, they sought "training lessons" from such masters ... you should remember the agreement with North Korea ... and now you are trying to shut up The Times for showing up that it existed ...
riccardo borg
Dec 20th 2011, 11:42
Min trid minnu, izzieghel bih u tixtieqlu rih frisk wara patattu!
Minn naha l-ohra, ma min rajtek xebbahtek.
Victor Laiviera
Dec 20th 2011, 12:02
@Mark Galea
And yet Lawrence Gonzi was the only national leader, as far as we know, who was invited to watch a football match on TV with Gaddafi. This is on record.
PN ministers and prime minister seem to have something about football. Take Tonio Fenech, for instance ....
Charles Vella
Dec 20th 2011, 12:28
@ victor Laiviera
Gonzi went to meet gaddafi purely for the sake of the common interest of our country... Ties with gaddafi stopped after 1987 and back then Eddie opened our doors to Europe and closed the doors to other dictatorship countries...
Just to remind u Mr Laiviera, Joseph Muscat met Gaddafi on a PERSONAL issue just a few weeks before Our Prime Minister... And Joseph met him as Gaddafi was a dear friend and also a financial sponsor of the Malta Labour Party!
T Gauci
Dec 20th 2011, 18:55
"Gonzi went to meet gaddafi purely for the sake of the common interest of our country"
Listess jista jghid il-labour
Angelo Vassallo
Dec 20th 2011, 10:35
@ mario gellel
HAS THE "TIMES" GOT PROOF THAT IT WAS A DEAL OF MILITARY ARMS AND TRAINING FOR HIS LEARNING ????? JEW QEDA TATI PALATA LIL "HER BROTHER IL-PN" ?????
Sur Gellel tal-PL, staqsi lil ALEX SCIBERRAS TRIGONA, dan zgur jista` jtik risposta ghall-mistoqsijiet tieghek. Is-Sur Lorry Sant kien iffirma Ftehim sigriet mal-Korea ta` Fuq ghan-nom ta' AST.
Illum il-poplu Malti qieghed jesigi u jrid ikun jaf il-verita` halli jsir jaf il-vera ruh tal-PL ta' 20111 immexxi mill-leader (Dear or not !!!!!!!!!!!!) JM.
P. Ciantar
Dec 20th 2011, 10:15
another dictator goes away who is next
Charles Micallef
Dec 20th 2011, 10:03
For all those who want to condemn the stay of Kim Jong-il in Malta, back in 1994 I suggest that they will have the guts to stand up and condemn the Republic of China who are North Korea's closest ally as they use to try and redicule China in the old days, but I bet anyone that since we have became good friends with the Chinese, the redicule from some quarters, will only be directed at north Korea!
mario gellel
Dec 20th 2011, 09:57
HAS THE "TIMES" GOT PROOF THAT IT WAS A DEAL OF MILITARY ARMS AND TRAINING FOR HIS LEARNING ?????
JEW QEDA TATI PALATA LIL "HER BROTHER IL-PN" ?????
Mr George Camilleri
Dec 20th 2011, 10:37
Mr Gellel, what could North Korea give Malta, apart from arms and training? Lessons in democracy? Not that the government of the time didn't need some!
Mark. Galea
Dec 20th 2011, 10:47
Ask Alex Sceberras Trigona
Victor Vella
Dec 20th 2011, 18:09
At least the labour always have a foreign policy. The PN has only one foreign policy. To sell Malta to the foreigners.
j brincat
Dec 20th 2011, 09:56
@Mark. Galea
"There is also another personality in Malta called "The Leader" ... ideas and ideologies from the golden 70's die very slowly ..."
We are so enlightened when you are in this philosophical mood!
(jb)
Mark. Galea
Dec 20th 2011, 10:41
no problem, jb
We shall henceforth start calling him "Dear Leader" after Kim Jong-il - it is very fitting, since it reminds us of those golden years, which many yearn for ... and want back ...
Christian Sciberras
Dec 20th 2011, 09:54
What I don't understand about this is how it came at a time when Malta arranged agreements with Libya to hand over any armaments and dismantle all defenses for some oil while it asked North Korea for armaments and training.
While the government's direction at the time is highly debatable, I still attest the fact that there's been done more harm than good to our military these last 60 years.
The people don't care about it (they dream we're living in a peaceful heaven), while the current government has better ways of wasting funds (such as opening playing grounds and gardens to get more favorable judgement by the populace).
That's a sad situation considering Maltese soldiers are well capable but lack the funds and proper training in the case of a real war (rather than being trained as our coast guards).
Nathalie Frendo
Dec 20th 2011, 09:52
The world should rejoice that a person like this is finally away from this earth. He simply went to join his likes who during their reigns tortured and ill-treated their citizens. How is it that when a person dies we are always playing the hypochrits and try to find the good in him? I find it hard to see any good in this man judging from the way he ruled over his people for such a long time May the koreans rest in peace now that he is gone.
A Galea
Dec 20th 2011, 09:44
I love the public displays of "sorrow". Must be a hell of a cameraman to keep the armed soldiers threatening the people out of view :)
Mr R Rizzo
Dec 20th 2011, 09:40
Miskin miet alleat iehor minn tal-labour tas-70s u l-80s...
Mark. Galea
Dec 20th 2011, 09:24
There is also another personality in Malta called "The Leader" ... ideas and ideologies from the golden 70's die very slowly ...
M Abdilla
Dec 20th 2011, 09:22
Ibdew il-kummenti kontra l-PL
Franco Farrugia
Dec 20th 2011, 09:51
Le, mhux kontra l-PL, imma kontra l-MLP ta' dak iz-zmien li kellu mexxej/ja li kien/u tant kuntenti u tant kienu impressjonati minn dan it-tip ta' nies. Jew din xi hrafa ohra, tahseb, li m'ghandhiex tinghad?
Mark. Galea
Dec 20th 2011, 09:57
@M Abdilla
Min ghandu passat ta' regim, u relazzjonijiet personali (mhux qed nirreferi ghal relazzjonijiet ta negozju) ma l-ghar dittaruri li kien hawn, u li kellu "agreement" ghal training ... ma nafx x'tista tghid aktar ... specjalment jekk anke it-titlu ta "Leader" jerghu juzaw ...
John A. Gauci
Dec 20th 2011, 13:45
Ma ghandi xejn kontra il PL--- imma il verita' toffendi habieb tieghi M. Abdilla.
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