NORTH KOREA NOW RUMORED ON 'SEMI-WAR' STATUS; KIM JONG IL/TOP LEADERS GO INTO STRATETIC RECLUSE

Chosun Ilbo Daily, Seoul (English Translation) ^ | 28 March 2003 | Chosun Ilbo, Seoul (English Translation)

[AmericanInTokyo]

Kim Jong-il Scarce, Conjectures Plentiful

by Chosun Ilbo Daily Reporter Kim In-gu (ginko@chosun.com)

The North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has not appeared in public for 43 days, observers said, triggering speculation that he putting his country in a war posture. Mr. Kim was absent from the Supreme People's Assembly meeting on Wednesday; his last public appearance was Feb. 12 at the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang. Experts on North Korea say Kim's withdrawal is deliberate and that North Korea has gone into a semibelligerent state since the outbreak of the Iraqi war. Sixty-one other top-level North Korean officials were absent from the assembly meeting (in Pyongyang).

One expert, Cho Myung-chul at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, who was a professor at Kim Il Sung University before defecting to the South, said that the 61 absentees would be commanding officers and that it seemed North Korea was in a state of war. Another North Korea expert said that North Koreans would take Kim's absence from the assembly meeting to mean that they are under an emergency situation.

Experts pointed to other signs that Pyongyang is getting unsteady: that excluded from the meeting were the cabinet minister's report and mention of this year's budget, and that the government is selling loans to the public for the first time in its existence. Also, Pyongyang hiked its military spending as a ratio of the budget by 0.5 percentage points this year, to 15.4 percent, and has told the public to increase its preparedness.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Japanese news is reporting much the same. All eyes are on what happens a little after 8:00 p.m. tonight (Thursday), US East Coast Time, when the Japanese space agency spectacularly launches it's first, EVER, two spy satellites from Tanegashima Island via H-2 rocket for the specific purpose of monitoring their increasingly beligerent communist neighbor.

Analysts are trying to figure out what North Korea will do in response, against the context that dictator Kim Jong il and his top leaders have disappeared from public view and have probably gone to the bunkers for strategy planning, and of course with respect to the situation in Iraq and their own subjective long-term concerns.

[AmericanInTokyo]

"stratetic"! vey series. hugh. (sorry)

[photogirl]

bmmp

[gulfcoast6]

Boy, those folks have escaped their trees for sure.

[Constitution Day]

Thanks for all your posts, AIT.
I always read them.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

What, pray tell, is a "stratetic recluse"?

I adore Asian to English translations, LOL.

[beaversmom]

has gone into a semibelligerent state since the outbreak of the Iraqi war

One fully belligerent nuke could cure this attitude problem.

[Mystix]

not good, they're trying to egg us in...

[KantianBurke]

not good. how safe are u?

[photogirl]

I hope not.

[Constitution Day]

BUMP

[AmericanInTokyo]

I don't quite know myself. Nevertheless, it might be created as a Free Republic slang, to join the ranks of 'vey series' and 'hugh!', if we keep it up! :-)

[Centurion2000]

Has their army gone back to farming ? I seem to remeber that the strategic tripwire for war is if they are not farming by April 1st or something like that.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

On a more serious note - is this kinda like a toddler throwing a "look at me" tantrum, or is it more serious than that?

[Poohbah]

I love the phrase "semibelligerent state."

Must be some variation on being passive-aggressive.

[Williams]

Sounds to me like they stayed away on the fear that the U.S. would decap them as it did with Sadaam. Hard to understand a country that is "at war" when in fact they are not.

[mr.pink]

Thanks for the heads up.

[ken5050]

again, thatnks for the updates.....do you have a ping list?..if so, please add me to it...best..

[AmericanInTokyo]

as safe as anyone else I suppose

[Only1choice____Freedom]

Maybe he was in the bunker with Saddam working out an exile plan?