Free Republic

One of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's closest aides has died in a car accident, state media announced on Monday, following weeks of rumours and conspiracy theories about the secretive country's leadership. Kim Yong-sun, a top adviser on foreign policy and relations with South Korea, failed to recover from brain injuries caused by the accident in June, according to the state news agency. Rumours of the crash had swirled for weeks in Seoul's diplomatic community, while the health of both Kim Jong-il and his wife has also been the subject of speculation. Kim Jong-il - known as the Dear Leader...

SEOUL, South Korea - A top North Korean official involved in reconciliation efforts with South Korea has died of injuries suffered in a traffic accident four months ago, the North's official media said Monday. Kim Yong Sun, 69, was a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party and deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea. He died Sunday after treatment in a hospital following the June 16 accident. Kim was involved in the reconciliation efforts that followed a 2000 summit between the leaders of the two Koreas, said KCNA, the North's official news agency. "He strove...