In his very first golf game in 1994, Kim finished an 18-hole round of golf at 38-under par — over the 7,700-yard championship course at Pyongyang, according to state media. The Debunker: What Did Ralph Waldo Emerson Recommend You Invent? You probably assume that Kim Jong-un is the North Korean president today, but that's not technically true. Kim Jong-un was a child prodigy in various fields. All Rights Reserved. Kim Jong-il invented the hamburger. The Debunker: Is Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" about Individualism? He's also the proud owner of an underwhelming Bag o' Crap. 's Ken Jennings school us all month on real-life dictators of all kind. Following in the footsteps of his father, North Korea’s current leader was a miracle worker from a very young age. Subsequent reports from North Korea have revealed that officials are unaware of the golf story that so delighted the West—and that North Korea's population was unaware that Kim played golf at all. Pyongyang Golf Club is situated on the banks of Taicheng Lake, 27 kilometres (17 mi) from central Pyongyang along the Youth Hero Highway.The 18‑hole 72‑par course covers 120 hectares (300 acres) with 45 hectares (110 acres) of green and is approximately 7,000 metres (23,000 ft) long. And when a foreign yacht company executive visited North Korea, a 9-year-old Kim Jong-un trounced him in a sailing race. By his 3rd birthday, he was learning to drive. North Korean scientists have cured cancer, Ebola, MERS, and AIDS. In actuality, the dictator (who was only 5’3” himself), rounded up those who came to claim their dose of the treatment and exiled them to uninhabited islands. The views expressed here are the author’s alone. What a loser.). From the superhero-esque origin stories of the Kim family to the fantastical inventions they have gifted to the world, here are five of the most outrageous claims from North Korea. The Debunker: Did Coca-Cola Advertising Create the Modern Santa Claus? Like all the expensive tastes of the Kim dynasty—the lobsters, the yachts, the Hennessy—Kim Jong-il's golf game never made it into the propaganda. Autocratic leaders always have a dim view of actual facts, from ancient Rome up to, well, today, but that's no excuse for us to believe all kinds of silly fake news about them. Kim Jong-il is a golf genius. We're celebrating the anniversary by having Jeopardy! ... according to the ESPN “30 for 30” documentary “Rodman: For Better or … The despotic, cult-like Kim dynasty has ruled the nation of North Korea since its 1948 founding. During his leadership of the country, Kim built on the mystique already surrounding his family. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window). An official state biography apparently once claimed that Kim Jong-il never peed or pooped, due to his remarkable internal purit, But the Kim myth that gets the most love in the West is an athletic one! Tags: Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-un, propaganda. Photo from Stephan’s photostream on flickr Creative Commons. : How Dining Culture Is Changing in South Korea, Prospects for Stronger Ties with Africa for the Next South Korean Administration, South Korean Schools: On the Front Lines of a Demographic Challenge, How North Koreans Might Organize an Insurgency After Unification, Korea-Japan GSOMIA Survives Amid Disputes over Historical, Trade Issues. The Debunker: Did Kim Jong-il Claim to Have Shot Five Holes in One the First Time He Ever Golfed? And you thought American millennials would never be able to retire! Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Seismic data confirmed that a test had indeed been carried out…but it was almost certainly not an H-bomb. Five? Post was not sent - check your email addresses! - The Washington Post, Number of North Korean Defectors Declines, The OECD’s 2020 Survey of Korea Focuses on Policies to Overcome the Pandemic, Understanding China’s North Korea Sanctions Enforcement: Metrics and Measures, What Woodward’s Book “Rage” Tells us about U.S.-Korea Relations, Table for One? (Sometimes Kim is said to have aced all eighteen holes; sometimes his total is a paltry five holes-in-one. 1. Along with the many communicable diseases North Korea has cured, they have also claimed mastery over genetics. It was, of course, the first time he had ever played. According to the Korean Central News Agency, the drug is produced from a local variety of ginseng mixed with rare-earth elements and small amounts of gold and platinum. For reference, the lowest score in a PGA Tour tournament was 33-under, set by Steve Stricker in 2009. The Debunker: Was Emily Dickinson a Mysterious Recluse? It was, of course, the first time he had ever played. Follow him at ken-jennings.com or on Twitter as @KenJennings. The New York Times, the Guardian, ESPN, and dozens of other outlets have all reported the North Korean state media story that Kim Jong-il shot eleven holes-in-one the first time he ever golfed. Kim Jong-un cured cancer and AIDS. This stems in part from curiosity – because news from North Korea is so rare, every crazy rumor is devoured with glee. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Kim shot 38 under, including 11 holes-in-one, at the 7,700-yard championship course at … 5. The Debunker: Did Michael Phelps Really Eat 12,000 Calories a Day? In 1994, Kim Jong-il made golf history when he shot a round of golf at 38-under par. Posted on 21 January 2016. This briefing comes from Korea View, a weekly newsletter published by the Korea Economic Institute. The Debunker: Which Fairy Tales Did the Brothers Grimm Write? A portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is displayed at a hotel in the N. Korean capital Pyongyang May 2. The Debunker: Was Captain Kangaroo a War Hero? He didn’t and the result is a pitched conflict between the world’s two major powers. For decades, the North Korean state propaganda machine has trumpeted improbable tales about the Kim family, to stoke hero worship among the populace. The Debunker: Are You Supposed to Style His Name as "e. e. cummings"? Kim Jong Golf. Do you have the skill required to keep up the family tradition? According to The Guardian, a Moscow-based distributor lists a basic course of injections at 1,500 rubles ($18.35). Kim Jong Il Shoots 38 Under Par In his first round of golf ever, Kim Jong Il sinks eleven holes-in-one at the 7,700-yard, 18-hole Pyongyang Golf Club. This is a realistic simulation of what it is like to play golf as a Glorious Leader. In an interview with CCTV America, KEI Senior Director for Congressional Affairs and Trade Troy Stangarone noted that the yield of a true H-bomb would be significantly greater than what was in fact detected from this test. They will always be the official heads of state, though they died in 1994 and 2011, respectively. Ads by Curse. But this wasn't an official North Korean claim, just one brainwashed citizen telling panicky tall tales to a tourist. The Debunker: What Color Were Oompa-Loompas, Originally? (Sometimes Kim is said to have aced all eighteen holes; sometimes his total is a paltry five holes-in-one. It is designed to provide a wide ranging forum for discussion of the foreign policy, economic, and social issues that impact the Korean peninsula. September 2018 marks the 45th anniversary of the 1973 coup in which the CIA helped remove the democratically elected (but leftist!) Products on Woot.com are sold by Woot LLC. Quick Quiz: A record 517-yard hole-in-one was hit in 2002 by an amateur golfer in what U.S. city—perhaps the only U.S. city where it would be possible? The Debunker: Is It Impossible to Drown in the Dead Sea? The Debunker: Are You Within Three Feet of a Spider Right Now. Woot.com is operated by Woot Services LLC. One of Kim Jong-il's most incredible achievements apparently came on his 62nd birthday. Aside from literary abuse, your use of this site also subjects you to Woot's terms of use and privacy policy. Jenna Gibson is the Director of Communications at the Korea Economic Institute to retire narratives do not express Woot editorial. And with over-the-top claims like this one, the first time he ever?... Jennings is the Director of Communications at the Korea Economic Institute Jong Il is famous for a... Interviews and a memoir of What it is like to play and replaced him with the many communicable North... Course in Pyongyang: are you Supposed to Style his Name as `` e. e. cummings?. 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