ALREADY GOT ONE!............
Posted on 09/15/2010 3:10:44 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
09-15-2010 17:38
'North Korea delays Workers' Party meeting'
By Kim Se-jeong
North Korea appears to have postponed its meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party due to internal problems, according to observers here.
It has been widely speculated that the meeting, which would have been the biggest political gathering in 30 years, could take place early Wednesday.
Yonhap News Agency, quoting anonymous sources from North Korea, reported that the authorities there had informed international organizations operating in Pyongyang that the meeting would be delayed due to floods.
“It appears that the flood damage had a severe effect on public opinion toward the regime, and North Korea decided to appease the public first before holding a political gathering. No information is available on when it will convene,” Yonhap said.
But other popular speculation on the conference’s delay was Kim Jong-il’s health, which has worsened after his clandestine trip to China, the observers said.
The delay of the meeting is bound to generate a deluge of guesswork in the outside world about Kim’s health amid speculation that he was going to use it to transfer power to his third son, Jong-un, they added.
Chun Hae-sung, spokesman for the Ministry of Unification, did not to confirm the report, saying the ministry had no relevant information.
The extraordinary interest in the party conference comes from the expectation that Jong-un will make his debut in North Korean politics, laying the foundation for a father-to-son succession.
A European diplomat based in Korea also hinted that a delay had always been on the cards.
Coming back from a three-day visit to Pyongyang last week he told The Korea Times, ``everybody knew the meeting scheduled for Sept. 6 to 8 would be delayed, but didn’t until when.”
Asked whether he had any problem entering the country he said, “I didn’t have any problems. I guess they already knew that the conference would be postponed.” In North Korea, visits by foreigners are suspended during political meetings.
The conference may not take place for another week-and-a-half because Pyongyang is opening a week-long international film festival Friday.
Yang Moo-jin from the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul told Yonhap that the next possible date for the conference would be Oct. 10, when the party will celebrate the 65th anniversary of its foundation.
Either Kim still has not recovered from his arduous trip to China, or there some serious disagreement on how the makeup of new leadership should be. Reportedly, long morobind party's Standing Committe will be strengthened and work as a new center of power instead of National Defense Commission which has been running N. Korea for more than 10 years. It is said that Kim Jong-eun is to take a seat at this Standing Committee and Jong-eun's men would move into important positions as a result of this conference.
Finally expected aids from China and S. Korea are not coming. N. Korea would just get a trickle. So the regime has no means to make them look good. They cannot create positive atmosphere or at least welcome respite from daily hardships in order to give a boost to the conference.
Correction: morobind —> moribund
Maybe time to start a “Dead Pool” on old Kim.
I’ll take Feb 2011.
Is Kim Jong IL getting ready to do like Fidel Castro and retire?
He’s dead, Jim....................
I’ll take August 2010..............
We'll get a 'guide to the game' out there to ya.
ALREADY GOT ONE!............
I take Veteran day of this year LOL!
Thanks for the pings.
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