Shim Hyun-seop, who discovered his father's name on a list of deceased persons on TV

Comedian Shim Hyun-seop brought back memories of the 1983 Aung San assassination bombing that shook South Korea. Having lost his father, the late Assemblyman Shim Sang-woo, in the terror attack, he recalled the moment he faced his father's name on the list of deceased on the TV screen when he was in his first year of middle school. Channel A's 'Now on My Way to Meet You' connects the tragedy of modern Korean history with the current political situation in Myanmar through this broadcast.

The 1983 Aung San Tragedy That Made Middle Schooler Shim Hyun-seop Cry

The bomb terror that occurred at the Aung San Mausoleum in Myanmar in 1983 was the work of North Korean agents targeting former President Chun Doo-hwan. Many officials from the South Korean government lost their lives in this incident. Despite being young at the time, Shim Hyun-seop had to face the shocking news delivered through the TV. He vividly shared the memory of that day when he discovered his father's name on the list of the deceased. Shim Hyun-seop personally testifies to the scene of the tragedy that completely changed an individual's life.

Myanmar's Democracy Index Lower Than North Korea's

The current political situation in Myanmar has worsened compared to the past. In the Democracy Index released in 2024, Myanmar and Afghanistan recorded rankings even lower than North Korea, which ranked 165th out of 167 countries. Once, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi led a democratic government and received praise for making "great strides toward democracy out of the dark tunnel of military rule," but her country has now plummeted to a level of democracy lower than North Korea. The broadcast analyzes the process by which Myanmar regressed into a dictatorship and military power was strengthened, using specific figures.

'The Kim Jong-un of Myanmar' Min Aung Hlaing and Military Dictatorship

Min Aung Hlaing, referred to as the 'Kim Jong-un of Myanmar,' is the figure who seized dictatorial power and pushed Myanmar under military rule. This broadcast covers how he grasped power and why the international community compares him to the North Korean leader. The life of Aung San Suu Kyi is also highlighted. Born as the daughter of the independence hero General Aung San, she was a symbol of the 1988 pro-democracy movement but was placed under house arrest for over 15 years due to military suppression. She dreamed of becoming president by leading the National League for Democracy to victory in the 2015 general election, but was blocked by constitutional provisions designed by the military. Following the 2021 coup, she was imprisoned again and was placed under house arrest this April; currently 80 years old, she has 18 years of imprisonment remaining.

The Divergent Relationship Between North Korea and Myanmar and the Capital Relocation

After the Aung San terror incident, the relationship between North Korea and Myanmar was completely severed. However, as the process of relocating Myanmar's capital progressed, movements toward closer ties between the two countries emerged. Professor Sun Kim summarizes major scenes in Myanmar's modern history through a special lecture on 'Unstoppable World History.' In particular, he provides an analysis of the specific role North Korea played during Myanmar's capital relocation process. Through the trajectory of Myanmar's modern history—from severance due to terror to reconnection due to the capital relocation—the special relationship between North Korea and Myanmar is examined.