Jonathan Cheng on When Pyongyang Was the Jerusalem of the East

Today on the Gist, looking at the dropping price of eggs and the DOJ's antitrust investigation into major producers for market manipulation. Then, Wall Street Journal China Bureau Chief Jonathan Cheng joins the show to discuss his new book, Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea's Personality Cult . He explains how Pyongyang was once known as the Jerusalem of the East and how the Kim dynasty co-opted Christian rituals for their own worship. Finally, in the spiel, we break down a very contentious State of the Union interview between Jake Tapper and Elise Stefanik. Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠ thegist@mikepesca.com For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at ⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠ For Mike's daily takes on Substack,

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Jonathan Cheng on When Pyongyang Was the Jerusalem of the East is an episode from The Gist by Mike Pesca.

This episode is 00:30:20 long.

This episode was published on Apr 20, 2026.

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