Succession Watch
Open Radio reports that among North Korean military officers and high-ranking Workers’ Party officials, it is widely rumored that Kim Jong Un has been designated to succeed His Porcine Majesty. The rumor was first reported by Yonhap back in January. After several weeks without much evidence to support that rumor, a Rodong Sinmun editorial last week made references to “[t]he tradition of the three-generations of Mankyungdae heroes,” which suggests that at least one of Kim’s brood is being groomed. (How might the regime publicize information without also informing those who live on Earth? Via the cable radios that residents are required to have in their homes, in yet another wierd parallel to “1984.”) The evidence of Jong Un’s succession is still far from compelling, but there is at least some of it.
Related: More on No. 1 son Kim Jong Nam and No. 2 son Kim Jong Chol.
Update: There was one North Korea election result that did involve an element of suspense. Jong Un was not elected as a delegate to the “Supreme Peoples’ Assembly,” which should meet in a large flat building with a tower in the center so that it looks like a big rubber stamp. Observers had commented that Jong Un’s election would indicate that he’s being groomed as a successor to Kim Jong Il, but again, it’s highly unlikely that Jong Un would end up as much more than a figurehead at most.
The latest pictures of his porcine majesty show either (a) a double or (b) an emaciated KJI who has lost 20-30 lbs and looks frail and bony. See pic here: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/03/09/korea-election.html
The current crisis has a few unique aspects to it:
1. All agreements between the 2 Koreas are nulled and voided by the DPRK;
2. PKA officers met in Panmunjon with high-ranking UN officers for the first time in 7 years with the DPRK warning the UN not to run Operation Key Resolve (combined/joint training exercise);
3. DPRK is staging a TaepoDong II ICBM for imminent testing;
4. DPRK warns any nation that shoots at the TaepoDong II will be perceived as provoking war with North Korea;
5. Civilian aircraft may be targeted during exercise;
6. Elections just occurred that happen every 5 years (gee, I wonder who won?);
7. New administration on Washington DC;
8. Balloon launches of millions leaflets sent by North Korean defectors that have converted to Christianity have met with the most bellicose of denunciations from a clearly rattled DPRK.
Other than that, yeah, this is business as usual. If he’s going to anoint one of his sons, he’d better move quickly.