N. Korea: Kim Jong-il 'Has Not Appointed a Successor' (No.2 man says: Chia Head gotten better?)

Chosun Ilbo ^ | 09/11/09

[TigerLikesRooster]

Kim Jong-il 'Has Not Appointed a Successor'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is well and has not appointed a successor, the North's no. 2 official claimed Thursday. Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly told Japan's Kyodo news agency Monday, "The matter of inheriting the revolutionary traditions is important. But this has nothing to do with the successor issue." "There has been no talk of succession at this moment," he added.

Kim Yong-nam was interviewed in Pyongyang. He denied reports that Kim Jong-il has appointed his third son Jong-un as his heir apparent, which he described as an "attempt by some foreign media outlets to stifle our rise and prosperity." He added, "Our people are now strongly united under chairman Kim Jong-il to safeguard the republic and socialism." He added Kim Jong-il is "currently running the entire party, state, and military energetically and wisely."

Kim Yong-nam also called for better relations with Tokyo. "We respect the Pyongyang Declaration" signed between the two sides on normalization of diplomatic relations, which includes a Japanese promise to supply the North with economic assistance, including humanitarian aid and soft loans. "We must seriously overcome the unfortunate past based on this declaration."

He added, "We oppose the Japanese government's wrongful hostile policies, but the Japanese people are not our enemy. The prospect of [North] Korea-Japan relations will solely depend on the attitude of the Japanese government."

That is being read as an offer of dialogue to improve ties after the election of a new government in Japan. In August last year, during the Yasuo Fukuda's premiership, Pyongyang and Japan agreed to reopen investigations of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 80s. But contacts stopped with the inauguration of the Taro Aso government in September last year.

[TigerLikesRooster]

It would seem to have gotten better to the point where Chia Head feels he is healthy enough to regain full control. No more deleagation to his cronies, and no more push to groom his successor in a hurry. He probably figures that having a ready successor could only lead to 'power-leak,' a kind of creeping lame-duck syndrome.

According to another S. Korean media report, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, during his visit to S. Korea last June, told those from S. Korean security agencies that Kim Jong-il may live for another 5 years. The report said that U.S. obtained 4 hour video of Kim Jong-il in action and asked prominent doctors to assess his health and reached this conclusion(I suspect Chinese provided the video.)

IMHO, health of Chia Head is having its own bear rally. I hope this bear rally ends much earlier than the above experts predict. I mean this year.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[Jet Jaguar]

Weekend at Bernie’s?

[mkjessup]

There is a simple answer to Chia Pet’s improved health:

The Devil takes care of his own.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Are you also picking up that the North Korean vessel detained in UAE on its way to Iran with missile shipments, was actually onloaded in SHANGHAI, PRC???!!

[TigerLikesRooster]

Right. There is also a report that Italian shipping company is involved. It is also the one which arranged other efforts to smuggle luxury goods into N. Korea. Italian custom at Ancoda reportedly intercepted cases of expensive liquors destined to N. Korea.

[SevenofNine]

OMG this too rich for material
Hey Tiger do you think Chia Pet know that they plan for life after Chia Pet he rally on his health LOL!

Kinda remind me of General Hospital where main gangster outlive everybody including his children and his gangster friends

[gaijin]

Hopefully there will be LOTS of blood-letting, and then after they’re tired and spent, SK can just roll in there and take what’s left.

That’d be best, maybe.