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31 Where my child’s smile is concerned, I want the best. Any father would feel the same. Pediatric dentistry & Orthodontics for all ages ExpEriEncE rEputation rEsults Give your children the smiles they deserve 71-9, Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 서울특별시 강남구 청담동 71-9 청담 IVY 교정전문클리닉 www.ivysmile.kr 02.518.2722 U.S. Certifed Orthodontic Specialist Member of American Dental Association TRICARE Dental Program Preferred Provider Assistance with all dental insurance paperwork > Dr.Jay H Kim D.M.D., M.S. US-Trained and licensed dentist Member of American Dental Association > Dr. David John Choie D.M.D fnd us at FB “ivy dentalclinic” Chungdam IVY ORTHODONTICS VIPS HONDA Hotel Riviera COEX Sinsa Stn. Gangnam-gu Offce Line7 Cheongdam Stn. EXIT 12 IVY Dental Clinic his very own ode, “Song of Kim Il-sung,” sounds out over a police cordon provided by Jilin’s finest municipal security services. The event plays a vital role for North Korea: (1) it is a centerpiece of the idolization of the Kim family as the revolutionary defender of the nation and its people; furthermore, (2) it is used to measure and reinforce the loyalty of North Korean citizens stationed abroad. However, the Chinese government has absolutely zero incentive to draw attention to either of these matters, and so it is an open question whether the extensive police presence that accompanies the event is designed to keep rogue anti-DPRK elements out, or to ensure that the never-ending process of manufacturing revolution- ary history does not cross the line of that which Beijing is prepared to permit. Kimism is a thorn in the side of the entire Manchurian region; it’s only natural that it would be fenced in. People dress well at such times. Aside from wonderfully color- ful hanbok, men dress in sharp business suits. Some, though not many, come by car; the majority is bused in and out. Ubiquitous Kim pin badges are on display. However, vignettes drawn out from the formality reveal a stud- ied ambivalence about the subtext of the gathering: For one thing, there is no mass rush to stop those who evade the police cordon to get into the garden and take pictures. Infinitely more telling than this, however, is evidence that younger North Koreans here are going out of their way to hide, obscure or transform the meaning of their pin badges. One has it pinned to a coat pocket at waist height, while another pins it to a handkerchief nestling inside a breast pocket. A third has it pinned on as intended, but wears a stylish long jacket that almost entirely covers it. Foreigners often laugh at these pin badges, regarding them as a regressive symbol of the North Korean government’s staunch refusal to bear witness to the end of the Cold War. If these young people can be said to offer any guide, foreigners are not alone in thinking this way. Ordinarily, the only way to find a person in China sporting a Kim pin badge with any sincerity is to hunt down Alejan- dro Cao de Benos, the cartoon chairman of the Korean Friendship Association. Real North Koreans take them off whenever possible, it seems, and regard the Day of the Sun, when they must be worn, as a challenge. This Groove column was made possible thanks in part to a grant from the Academy of Korean Studies, which supports Sino-NK’s ongoing project to document the cultural and political strategies used by the DPRK government to promote its policy agenda and create strategic discord abroad. — Ed. the only way to find a person in China sporting a Kim pin badge with any sincerity is to hunt down alejandro Cao de Benos, the cartoon chairman of the Korean Friendship association. real north Koreans take them off whenever possible, it seems, and regard the day of the Sun, when they must be worn, as a challenge.