Intelligence: Signs of Trouble in Kim Jong-il's Health(much more serious than reported)

JoongAng Ilbo ^ | 06/23/07

[snowsislander]

I was going to cuss you out for posting a link to an ideogram site, but being in a magnanimous mood, I'll help you out.

Why don't you try hanging out for a while rather than jumping in and foolishly criticizing one of the most valuable members of Free Republic?

It is clear that you have failed to realize that the poster, TigerLikesRooster, has personally translated the article into fluent English for our benefit. That's the reason for the "/begin my translation " and "/end my translation" blocks.

By the way, welcome to Free Republic. I don't think you are going to be around for long, and certainly not if you are just going to wing it and start criticizing things that you don't even understand --- and for that matter, Korean Hangul is not even ideogrammatic, it's alphabetic.

There are a few posters here who post original translations, generally from Korean and Japanese. I believe that TigerLikesRooster is the most prolific, with AmericanInTokyo the second most.

[LachlanMinnesota]

Maybe Following Leader?

[Jimmy Valentine]

In your opinion,given that Kim has not formally chosen a successor, what happens if say he goes into a diabetic coma and dies suddenly?

Do we see a power struggle within the military for control?

[usafsk]

He didn’t post a link to an ideogram site. The Korean’s have phonetic alphabet just like we do. It dates back to the 15th century. Get your facts right.

[Non-Sequitur]

This much is certain: Kim Jong is really Ill.

Does he have an appointed successor or could there be a power free-for-all?

[Constitutional Patriot]

I just hope it’s painful...that’s all.

[Non-Sequitur]

3-way power struggle: Kim’s eldest son(Kim Jong-nam), second and third son duo(Jung-chol & Jung-un,) and Kim’s new wife Kim OK

In your opinion what's the likely outcome? From what little I remember of the Kim kids being in the news none of them seem to be overly bright - didn't one try to sneak into Japan on a fake passport to go to Disneyland? Is one faction smarter or more cunning than the others? Is there one that the military seems to prefer over the others?

[expatguy]

Terima Kasih!

Nice to see you are on the ball up there.

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

[djf]

Of course here comes at least a hundred comments hoping for a gruesome and painful death.
When he dies, we are faced with an unknown.
A known enemy is far better than an unknown one.
He has already proved that even though he is into alot of military bells and whistles, he is not a serious threat.
He might be replaced by someone as volatile as Castro in his early years. Then, all bets are off.

I hate it when some idjit just spouts the party line.

[TigerLikesRooster]

See my comment #31.

[TigerLikesRooster]

It is hard to tell who would prevail. Kim Jong-nam is said to have China's backing, but he fell out of favor with his dad and stays out of N. Korea for most of the times, which is a disadvantage.

I do not know how 3-way power struggle will pan out. A collective leadership made up of generals with one of his sons as a figurehead is certainly possible or may nobody gets to succeed Kim Jong-il. The power struggle itself could break up the regime for good.

[TigerLikesRooster]

I don't think there is no young ardent revolutionary taking the place of Kim Jong-il in N. Korea.

The old exhausted regime would simply break apart.

[Savage Beast]

Has Madeleine Albright swept to his bedside...?

Oops! I didn't mean to use the verb to sweep...in connection to Madeleine...I mean...

But she does like champagne--and cognac!

[TigerLikesRooster]

When it comes to sweeping and cleaning, leave it to Maddie. She has the "looks" and I am sure she also has the requisite skill.

Dear Leader is entitled to hiring an imperialist-running-dog maid now that he politically crushed Bush administration.

[norton]

All cookie cutter Kims - or is there some real difference between them?

[Non-Sequitur]

I do not know how 3-way power struggle will pan out. A collective leadership made up of generals with one of his sons as a figurehead is certainly possible or may nobody gets to succeed Kim Jong-il. The power struggle itself could break up the regime for good.

In a country as unstable as that I think that we can agree that a power struggle like that has the potential for disaster.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Perhaps there will be a funeral for Jimmah Cahtah to attend this year.

[expatpat]

What do you mean? We shall lose the best golfer in the world....

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Polonium tea?

I thought the attempt last year was interesting. This when they blew up a small town with an ammonium nitrate bomb as his train was passing though. Missed him by an hour, I heard.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

Without your translations, we would never know what was going on.

May God Bless you and keep you and your loved ones safe.