Posted on 09/16/2008 7:53:44 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Doctors’ long stay may point to trouble for Kim
September 17, 2008
Five Chinese doctors who were summoned to Pyongyang last month to treat North Korea’s bedridden leader Kim Jong-il are still staying in the country, an indication that Kim’s recovery from an apparent stroke may be slower than hoped or that the outcome of last month’s brain surgery may be worse than expected.
Either way, the latest revelation is expected to further cloud the uncertain future of the country whose fate is determined by the idolized 66-year-old leader.
Meanwhile, Hwang Jang-yop, the highest-ranking North Korean official ever to defect to the South, has suggested that Kim’s first son, Jong-nam, is likely to succeed Kim since he is both supported by China and Jang Sung-taek, Kim’s brother-in-law and a senior member of the ruling Workers’ Party.
Now the eyes of political observers are on whether Pyongyang will approve the visit of close to 300 South Korean charity group members who have long been awaiting word whether they can journey to the North.
According to South Korean intelligence agency sources, five doctors from the China People’s Liberation Army were suddenly sent to Pyongyang, possibly to treat Kim, who is thought to have collapsed from a stroke about Aug. 15.
“All of the five doctors were discovered to be neurosurgeons but it cannot yet be confirmed that the Chinese doctors themselves performed the surgery on Kim,” said the source, who declined to be named.
By staying in Pyongyang for more than a month the doctors have intensified suspicions that Kim faces a tough road ahead, said the source.
“But there’s a possibility that the North’s regime is keeping them from leaving the country in order not to risk letting information about Kim’s health leak further,” he noted. “No one can say for sure about the North’s situation.”
A former North Korean doctor who defected to the South said the Chinese doctors’ long stay was troubling.
“There are highly trained doctors in North Korea,” said the source, who also refused to be named for safety reasons. “The foreign doctors would have left the country if the outcome of the surgery was excellent.”
Hwang said it is unlikely that the North’s military would stage a coup even if Kim’s political position weakens due to illness. He said Pyongyang will likely maintain political stability even in the event of Kim’s death. Hwang was one of the North’s major ideologues before he defected.
“Kim has been thoroughly supervising and managing the military, so there is little possibility that the military will take over the regime,” he was quoted as saying during a conversation with senior Grand National Party legislator Kim Dong-sung earlier this month. Kim disclosed details of the conversation yesterday.
“Kim has maintained and is maintaining a perfect grip on the senior military figures so they do not have any grievances,” said Hwang.Hwang dismissed prevailing speculation here and abroad that the North’s military may take over the regime once Kim’s leadership weakens or he dies.
Hwang, who defected to Seoul in 1997, also said that Jong-nam is likely to succeed Kim since his political leverage is buttressed by China, the North’s closest ally and strongest neighbor, and Jang.
For years, Jong-nam has been known to be living around Beijing and Macao while often visiting the North.
While the North is weathering the latest storm, several local charity groups are anxiously awaiting the approval for their long-anticipated journey to North Korea.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Ho-nyoun said yesterday that 19 charity groups in South Korea have applied to visit the North throughout this week, including 111 members of Seoul-based Peace 3000 and some 170 members of Korea Sharing Movement, another Seoul-based group.
The groups have long been in talks with Pyongyang to get the green light to visit. But the much-anticipated invitations have yet to be issued by Pyongyang, according to Kim and representatives of the charity groups.
By Chae Byung-geon JoongAng Ilbo/ Jung Ha-won Staff Reporter [hawon@joongang.co.kr]
Ping!
Organ harvesting vultures be warned, there is nothing of value here.
I thinking maybe Kim had stroke turn out be worst than we previously thought Tiger
Interesting, soon he will have computer chips and a good hacker will hack them and make him turn into a nice guy.
Yes, I know it is fiction.
It will be a sad day in the sports world if we lose the only man ever to shoot 18 hole-in-ones in a row during a single round of golf. Every golf course in the U.S. should have his picture hanging in their clubhouse to honor this most glorious moment in history.
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