Tremors that may signal political earthquake in North Korea

[oldhat]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/korea/article/0,2763,1378854,00.html

Tremors that may signal political earthquake in North Korea

Jonathan Watts, East Asia correspondent
Thursday December 23, 2004
The Guardian

European policymakers have been advised to prepare for "sudden change" in North Korea amid growing speculation among diplomats and observers that Kim Jong-il is losing his grip on power.

A EU delegation to Pyongyang recommended a review of the union's policy towards the peninsula, including proposals for closer engagement with North Korea and contingency plans for a possible collapse of the reclusive state, the Guardian has learned.

The sense of urgency was prompted by reports of divisions within the North Korean leadership and expectations that the second Bush administration will intensify pressure on a country the US president labelled part of an "axis of evil".

Despite boasting about its nuclear deterrent, North Korea has been left on the diplomatic backburner for the past 12 months.

Six-country talks aimed at resolving one of the world's last cold war conflicts have been postponed largely because the two main protagonists - Washington and Pyongyang - were awaiting the results of the US presidential election.

In the past month, however, the North Korean rumour mill has been working overtime. While no one is ever quite sure what is going on in one of the world's most closed countries, diplomats, intelligence agents, academics and defectors across the political spectrum and from several different countries are reporting signs of potentially destabilising change.

There are strong indications of a power struggle centring on the successor to Kim Jong-il.

MORE...

[Demeter]

1. Isn't It Peculiar?

Bush picked out his 3 most hated countries: Iraq, Iran, and North Korea.

Iraq had the strongman: he who would be despot with a crony system.

Iran has the theocracy.

North Korea has the Personality Cult: God in our midst.

I think it is a clear-cut case of envy and striving to over-achieve:

Bush wants all 3 for himself!

All hail to the Chief Strongman-Ayatollah-Personal God!

[mcscajun]

2. I don't know about anyone else...

...but this makes me VERY Nervous.

Like we didn't already have enough to be nervous about.

I'm gonna go pull the covers over my head and wait for Spring.

[oldhat]

3. China will put its boot down if anything happens.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=akt2sTLiCe4s&refer=asia

China Rejects Report of Troop Deployment on North Korean Border

Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) -- China rejected a report that the government has deployed 10,000 soldiers along the North Korean border to have troops available in case of an abrupt political change that may include the downfall of leader Kim Jong Il.

``Such a report is completely groundless and unreasonable,'' Wu Dawei, vice minister of foreign affairs, said at a briefing in Beijing today. ``After reading this article, people will believe it's true. This is very dangerous.''

South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo newspaper today cited unidentified Washington officials as saying about 10,000 Chinese troops were preparing for a prolonged stay along the North Korean border. The report follows others that Kim's portraits were removed from some areas in Pyongyang and that the state-run North Korean media dropped his ``dear leader'' title. The reports have triggered speculation about changes in the regime.

[Mr_Spock]

6. "After reading this article, people will believe it's true"

lol - cause anything the Chinese government denies IS true! They're just like our dictatorship, that's how we know.

[brainshrub]

4. On a whim, I looked up the "official" website for N. Korea.

It's a surreal site. Check it out.
http://www.korea-dpr.com/

[Celeborn Skywalker]

5. Have you ever seen the website for

the Korean Central News Agency? It actually make Faux look "fair and balanced."

[brainshrub]

8. Do you have a link?

I'm fascinated by the states official artwork in North Korea. It's so utterly devoid of creativity, yet it has it's own austere, sublime, stark beauty.

It's not that I like it, I'm just fascinated by it.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

9. Here's the link:

www.kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm

[0007]

7. Quite a site!

[brainshrub]

10. Holy shit...follow this link!!

http://www.korea-dpr.com/users/norway/events/kfahymn.swf

It's the N. Korean national anthem video! Holy shit... it's so creepy. I swear it looks like something put together at Free Republic. But this was put made by the N. Korean govt!!!

Enjoy!

http://www.korea-dpr.com/users/norway/events/kfahymn.swf

[psychopomp]

11. If, as the article speculates, the EU responds to NK deterioration

with euros for food aid rather than more a more bellicose stance the "appeaser" catcalls from the US right will be all-too predictable.

Really, though, it is South Korea that has the biggest role to play, not DC; the article sees the US-NK axis as the most important bilateral relationship in the group of six. I think the Koreans will work this out amongst themselves, provided that the world helps to set the conditions for such an occasion.