North Korean Women in Power

전수진

기자
토종한국인으로원어민수준의영어를구사하며일본어도수준급인팔방미인으로코리아중앙데일리를거쳐현중앙일보기자로활동중이다.외교부및통일부출입기자로방북취재경험또한풍부하며,다수의이달의기사상을수상하였다.한국최초IOC위원장인터뷰,한식세계화TF,중앙SUNDAY,월간중앙,디지털뉴스룸등다양한분야에서활동한경험이있다.
ChunSu-jinisaSouthKoreanwriter,whoisproudofherNorthKoreanheritage.BornandraisedinSeoul,ChundreamsoflivinginPyongyangintheunifiedKorea.ShewritesinbothKoreanandEnglish,andhascoveredthePresidentialOffice,theForeignMinistry,andtheUnificationMinistry.

Preface
Chapter1WhyYouShouldCare
Chapter2TheBirthof"NewWomen":InRevolutionWeTrust
Chapter3HailtheGigglyPrincess
Chapter4MeettheFirstLady?laPyongyang
Chapter5TheThirdDearLeader'sSelf-madeFemaleEntourage
Chapter6WhenaSouthKoreanFemaleReporterMetaNorthKoreanOfficial

Epilogue
Acknowledgments

북한김정은정권의핵심을이루는여성엘리트들

2022년올해로집권10주년을맞은김정은북한국무위원장.아버지김정일의갑작스런죽음이후10년,그는주변의우려와달리북한최고지도자로서안정적으로자리매김했다.김정은정권이북한의기존정권과확연히다른점은김정은위원장주변의핵심측근중상당수가여성이라는점이다.혈육김여정부터퍼스트레이디리설주,최근드디어북한첫여성외무상자리를꿰찬최선희와조선노동당선전선동부부부장현송월까지.북한뿐아니라싱가포르및하노이1~2차북미정상회담부터블라디보스토크북러정상회담,말레이시아김정남암살사건등을다년간현장에서취재한전수진중앙일보기자가김정은의최측근여성들의이야기를전한다.

이산가족속에서자란저자,“나도북한에서태어날수있었다”는마음으로취재해온스토리

저자는생존을위해,신념을지키기위해고향을떠나남쪽으로피난온조부모의영향으로주말마다북한식냉면을먹고,명절때는임진각을방문하는등북한의유산을접하며자랐다.저자의이러한삶의배경은언론인이되고자하는강한원동력이자,북한과북한여성에대해더욱치열하게취재하게된동기였다.이책은저자가한국의여성기자로서,어쩌면북한에서태어나북한여성으로고된삶을살아내야했을지도모른다는공감의마음을담아취재한내용을바탕으로구성되었다.따라서시중에나온김정은위원장개인에집중된책들과확연한차이를보인다.

한국인기자가직접영어로기획하고취재한경험을바탕으로쓴책

저자전수진은일명‘토종한국인’으로해외경험이전무하지만영어신문코리아중앙데일리에서청와대출입기자로일하는등10여년간기자생활을했고현재는중앙일보에서외교부와통일부를담당하는등활발하게활동중이다.외국어로출간된대부분의북한관련책은외국인기자나전문가가쓴것으로,한국인의시선,한반도인만이가질수있는공감력과동질성이결여되어있다.이책은그가한국인의시선으로처음부터영어로기획하고원고를썼기에영미권독자들에게더생생하고강렬하게다가갈수있다는점에서도주목할만하다.

MeettheDaughteroftheSun
TheNorthKoreanWomeninPoweristhefirstfieldreportonNorthKoreawrittenbyaSouthKoreanwomanreporterinEnglish.ChunSu-jin,whoreferstoherselfasa“Korean-Korean(SouthKoreannationalitywithaNorthKoreanheritage),”introducesfourNorthKoreanwomenwhomakeChairmanKimJong-uncomplete-theoneandonlybloodtoChairmanKim,KimYo-jong;theFirstLadywithprideanddignity,RiSol-ju;aseasonedcareerdiplomat,ChoeSon-hui;andadefactoprotocolofficer,HyunSong-wol.
NorthKoreaisasmall,isolatedcountryruledbytheauthoritarianleaderKimJong-un.Theyhavelockedthedoorandclaimthattheyhavenuclearweapons.Thentheykeepsendingsignalstotheworld-mainlytotheUnitedStatesandSouthKorea-bymakingstatementsandshootingmissiles.SoitmaybeinevitableforNorthKoreatobeconsideredanincomprehensiblestrangecountry.ButChuntellsusthattheyneedtobeproperlyunderstoodforthesafetyandsecurityoftheworldandthekeytounderstandthishermitkingdomisthepeoplewhomovetheregime:theleaderKimJong-unandhisfemaleentourage.
TherearequiteafewbooksonNorthKorea,butnotfromaKorean-Korean.ThisbookisthefirstofitskindfromSouthKoreanpointofviewtargetingEnglish-speakingreadership.Thisistheproductoftheauthor’snearly20yearsofexperiencemeetingandwritingaboutNorthKorea.Shehastalkedtotensofdozensofsourcesforthisbookalone,nottomentionmanyothersshemetwhileworkingasanewsreporter.Thisbookwillallowreadersdevelopmoreinterestandunderstandingtheenigmaticcountryanditspeople