Posted on 11/17/2004 3:06:16 PM PST by AmericanInTokyo
Considering there's enough stock footage of 'Kim Jong Il inspecting military unit' or 'Kim Jong Il visits factory' to make it seem like he's around for the next 300 years, this means nothing.
It's a curious move, though, taking down some public pictures of the Glorious Leader, then removing the honoric title itself. When I was in China a college student pointed out that the government backed away from 'communist talk' about %5 a year, distancing themselves from the image of a hardline communist party. This has been going on for over a decade, and they're still not free of it. If this is North Korea's way of trying to slowly wean the people off of Kim Jong Il worship, in a similiar fashion as China is phasing out communism, I think they're dreaming.
The Chinese are merely postponing the inevitible breakup of the central government, and using gradual reform to extend their grip on power. North Korea may hope to do the same, but it's just not a viable option for them.
1) Chinese influence : no money unless Great Leader becomes not-so-great leader.
2) Untreated syphillis. Could explain the sudden death of his "consort".
3) Slow-motion coup.
Probably not. If he steps down, his only option is to flee to China. Letting go of absolute power, and in North Korea, that means the image as well as the fact, would be suicidal.
Possibly some elements may want to pretend that he is still alive and/or in power, but that's a secret you can't keep for long, even in the Hermit Kingdom.
If any of this is true (nothing in their past suggests that the N-Koreans understand the west well enough to fake this without looking like fools), then this is a very feasible explanation.
Back when Stalin died, the Soviets kept it a secret for several days. We had a lot of CIA over there, so we were able to figure it out but it still took 3 or 4 days. It wouldn't surprise me at all if it took a long time for the North Koreans to admit Kim was dead. They know that we will use any excuse to exert pressure, and I've long thought that the Chinese would prefer to have him out.
Not bad! You picked all the right words.:)
I watched. But I still dont "get it."
Well, Kaddafi never promoted himself above Colonel's rank, so he may still hold that title.
I'm hoping for the best, but just in case . . does anyone recall an incident in the 1980s where the death of Kim Il Sung was broadcast on the DMZ loudspeakers, and then a couple days later he turns up alive?
Never read much on it after the fact except speculation that they were trying to flush out disloyal elements. Kim Jong Il in retrospect was somewhat of a co-regent alongside his father even as far back as 1985. So if this happened during the 80s, he had a hand in that. Depending on how this unfolds, it might be worth digging up the details on that.
Guess he hasn't seen "Team America" yet because Matt Stone and Trey Parker are still alive!!
"He's dead, Jim."
I wonder if he has perhaps fallen apart after the death of his concubine.
I used to listen to short-wave broadcasts from North Korea when I lived in NE China. Five times a day they had a 15-minute English broadcast which I stumbled upon by accident a few times. After about 1993 I never was able to find them, but never knew why.
Damn I thought Little Kim drinking himself to the death what I understand
I think Dude checking out Team America right now LOL
I don't think his copy of Incredaibles has reach North Korea JUST YET LOL!!!
What is going on? Is there a secret coup attempt underway, an uprising, or something?
I agree about the footage today (actually the still photos). I look very hard for a UNIT 754. It certainly was at a military facility, with the main activity being korean red pepper handling and kimchi production. Scary! And of course he may have visited that place before. However, the haircut/general photos of Kim/weather this time lead me to believe that it is recent and that he was there in the last 2-3 weeks inspecting. Only a check of the massive inventory to see if they are unrolling old previous "on the spot visits" will tell. This was one of my first thoughts.
You, from that position in the PRC, probably could have picked up their daily broadcast, right out on the open AM band (at 657 khz to be exact) in Korean, beamed to Japan, with the woman 3 digit 2 digit code to agents stationed in Japan, giving instructions, drop points, pick up points, targets, and the like. Clear channel, probably 30-40,000 watts. Sheesh, even in a downtown Tokyo hotel at night, especially in winder, anyone with an AM radio and a west facing window, could clearly pick that eye opening stuff up.
Thanks. It is hard for me to romanize hangul...especially since my vocabulary is shrinking. The buk han gnome's are soy-tanly a shifty bunch!
Here's one theory--it leaves out the anti-Kim flyers though and I don't think it's right. http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBN1T6CO1E.html
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