[FOCUS] US board game creator braves possible death threat for mocking supreme leader

By Park Sae-jin Posted : August 26, 2016, 11:37 Updated : August 26, 2016, 13:21
[Board game Dear Leader's introduction webpage]
 
By Park Sae-jin = swatchsjp@ajunews.com

Creating a fun game to share at a party is a delightful and special experience. For American board game designer Tim Hutchings, it's a dangerous venture, and he may have to endure merciless retaliation and death threats from North Korea.

Nevertherless, the creator of the board game "Dear Leader" is determined to get "pulverized beyond recognition" for creating "a bootlicking, clapping, problem-making party card game about the awfulness of dictators" as he described on "Kickstarter", the website of his social funding service.

In his board game, players take turns in roleplaying as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un or his faithful advisors. Each player acts according to instructed situations, cleverly decieving and glorifying him.

So far Hutchings has raised 22,052 US dollars from 450 supporters that's almost the twice of his original goal. But while the concept of his game could be accepted as a parody joke for many, it would definitely disturb Pyongyang to the point of issuing threats and retaliation for making fun of its leader.

He put a lot of thought into making this board game, trying not to have it just become a good joke. "This game isn't going to end human rights abuses in North Korea, it isn't going to smash a dictator and free the people living in a web of misery and lies."

"I'm not going to claim that this game is art or social criticism, but I will say that the game comes out of my background in those areas," said the game creator.

"It's an act of responsibility to identify Kim Jong-un as the subject of the game and to not obscure him behind a fake name. Fuck that guy. Fuck every evil act he and his father and grandfather perpetrated on the people of North Korea. Fuck them for poisoning the minds of generations of innocent people and keeping a population as slaves."
 
[Yonhap Photo]
 
In a dynastic succession of power, Kim has ruled his country with an iron fist since he inherited his god-like position down from his father who died in late 2011. North Korean leaders have been deified and idolized with their portraits considered sacred at every household.

Defaming or insulting them is counted as an intolerable act of treason, and violators have been executed or sent to prison.
 
[Courtesy of Sony Pictures]
 
Pyongyang has also reacted furiously to any attempt by foreigners to mock and defame its leaders. The most well-known case was "The Interview", a 2014 film that starred Seth Rogen and James Franco as assassins disguised as TV newscasters to kill Kim.

Calling it "a wanton act of terror", North Korea threatened "merciless retaliation", followed by a series of cyber attacks against film distributor Sony Pictures. US investigators accused Pyongyang of using hackers for vengence, despite its flat denials. After all, Sony backed away to scrap plans for premieres and screenings.
 
Developers of 'Glorious Leader', an indie PC game starring Kim Jong-un as a playable character, were constantly put under threats and hacking attempts during the game's development phase. The game's development was scrapped after a hacking which deleted all files related to the game, leaving the developers with nothing.[Courtesy of Kickstarter]

In another notable case in early 2015, Money Horse, the developer of US indie PC game "Glorious Leader" starring Kim as a playable character, was constantly put under threats and hacking that deleted all game data and forced the developer to give up.

There were many PC or video games which had North Korean troops as the main villain, but Money Horse's was the first to have Kim as a playable character. In the game, Kim battles against "Yankee imperialists", riding a unicorn and flying into the battlefields on top of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

 
[Courtesy of MoneyHorse]
 
Money Horse wrote later on its Kickstarter page: "The hackers destroyed data pertaining to Glorious Leader! and other projects we had in development and locked us out of our own computers and website."
 
[Courtesy of MoneyHorse]
 
"This is not the first time we have been targeted because of Glorious Leader! Between the hacking and other threats, we think it is time to reevaluate our commitment to Glorious Leader!"
 
Civil activists prepare to send balloons full of leaflets containing anti-pyongyPyongyangnts [Yonhap Photo]
 
Pyongyang has threatened to get South Korean activists "pulverized beyond recognition" for floating propaganda balloons across the border to send leaflets criticizing and mocking Kim to its citizens.


Aju News Park Sae-jin = swatchsjp@ajunews.com
Edited by Lim Chang Won = limcw34@ajunews.com
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