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N.Korean Eminence Grise Dead in Mysterious Circumstances Ri Je-gang A powerful North Korean official has suddenly died in mysterious circumstances. North Korea on Wednesday evening announced the death in a car accident of Ri Je-gang (80), the first deputy director of the Workers Party's Organization and Guidance Department. Ri worked at the powerful department directly supervised by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il for 37 years. He was apparently deeply involved in establishing the succession for Kim's son Jong-un. Kim Jong-un's mother, the late Ko Yong-hee, reportedly asked him to make sure that one of her sons, Jong-chol or Jong-un, succeeds...

/begin my excerpts N. Korea: Ri Je-gang, Key Backer of Kim Jong-un, Killed in a Traffic Accident 06/03/10 Drunk driving suspected after the gathering with Kim jong-il N. Korea's KCNA reported on June 2, "Ri Je-gang, First Vice Director of Central Committee at Korean Worker's Party and a member of Supreme People's Assembly, died of an auto accident at the age of 80, at 00:45 am, June 2." Ri accompanied Kim Jong-il to watch the performance of propaganda art unit from (military) Unit No. 963. Experts suspect that he was killed in a drunk driving accident after attending the secret...