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My Friend Kim Jong Un
  • Published: 17 November 2026
  • ISBN: 9781770468221
  • Imprint: Drawn & Quarterly
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 236
  • RRP: $75.00
Categories:

My Friend Kim Jong Un

Formats & editions
EBook
27 Oct 2026
Paperback
17 Nov 2026
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"A sensitive chronicler of Korean history and life [explores] how individuals on both sides of the DMZ have thought about and demonized the other."—Robert Ito, The New York Times

The award-winning cartoonist behind Grass and The Waiting explores North Korea's long shadow around the world

North Korea is visible from cartoonist Keum Suk Gendry-Kim’s home and studio. The specter of the infamous dictatorship and nuclear power looms over the daily life of everyone in its path. Artillery fire, helicopters, and sirens from a nearby military base paint the acoustic landscape.

To confront her anxiety stemming from the eerie proximity of an unchecked power, Gendry-Kim searches for the humane and explores the life of the supreme leader through interviews with former politicians, researchers, and journalists, interspersed with more personal accounts from defectors and friends of assassinated victims. What emerges is a chilling and timely cautionary tale about the danger of absolute power. Translated by Janet Hong.
  • Published: 17 November 2026
  • ISBN: 9781770468221
  • Imprint: Drawn & Quarterly
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 236
  • RRP: $75.00
Categories:

Praise for My Friend Kim Jong Un

One of the New York Public Library's Best New Comics for Adults!

"In this graphic novel blend of memoir, biography and reportage, the creator of Grass draws on interviews with defectors, journalists, Kim’s former chef and former South Korean president Moon Jae-in in an attempt to understand the dictator in whose shadow she grew up."—The Globe & Mail

“This extraordinary and empathetic work of comics journalism [offers] a sharp snapshot of today’s political moment.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Another magnificent graphic triumph.”—Booklist, Starred Review

“A thought-provoking, nuanced, and compelling work of graphic nonfiction that offers readers a deeply personal perspective on Korea’s unresolved conflict and the anxieties it continues to generate.”—Library Journal, Starred Review

"With admirable inquisitiveness, a cartoonist shares what she learns about her little-understood neighbor: North Korea."—Kirkus Reviews

"Her sharp, exquisite renderings convey poignant details—from knitted eyebrows to loops of barbed wire."—The Walrus

"Keum Suk Gendry-Kim’s unflinching tale of politics and survival is rendered with a depth of empathy."—The Tyee