Im Dienst des Diktators

Im Dienst des Diktators: Leben und Flucht eines nordkoreanischen Agenten (en: In the Dictator's Service: the Life and Flight of a North Korean Agent) is a biography of North Korean defector Kim Jong Ryul that reveals information on the luxurious lifestyle of North Korea's Eternal President Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong Il. Austrian journalists Ingrid Steiner-Gashi and Dardan Gashi authored the book, and Ueberreuter published it in March 2010.

Im Dienst des Diktators: Leben und Flucht eines nordkoreanischen Agenten

Author	Ingrid Steiner-Gashi, Dardan Gashi
Language	German
Genre	Biography
Publisher	Ueberreuter
Publication date	March 2010
Publication place	Austria
Media type	Print
Pages	206
ISBN	3800074508

In 2010, Kim Jong Ryul came out to share his experiences as a "shopper" for the North Korean elite after sixteen years of hiding in Austria.^[1] Although criticizing Kim Jong Il might endanger his life and his family, Kim Jong Ryul told the Associated Press, "Without this book, I didn't want to die. Now I can die with a clear conscience."^[2]

Content

Kim Jong Ryul spent around 20 years^[3] fulfilling the wishlists of North Korea's nomenklatura by purchasing and smuggling expensive goods into North Korea. Such items included silk wallpaper, gold-plated handguns, and luxury vehicles.^[2] He spent much time operating out of Vienna, Austria.^[3] Kim Jong Ryul served as a translator for a group of North Korean chefs instructed to "learn everything" about Austrian cuisine.^[2] Kim Jong Ryul and a group of engineers were also assigned to duplicate a Mercedes-Benz.^[2]

References

1. Kirk, Donald (2010-03-09). "New book: Defector tells of shopping in Europe for North Korea dictators". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
2. "Shopper for N. Korea dictator speaks". NBC News. Associated Press. 2010-03-04. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
3. Bell, Bethany (2010-03-08). "Colonel tells of lavish shopping for N Korea dictators". BBC News. Retrieved 2012-04-09.