After Kim Jong-il: The Future of North Korea

[Colossus 2]

According to N.K. state-TV, Kim Jong-il is dead. Coming from them it should be seen as confirmed.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has died at the age of 69, state-run

television has announced.

Mr Kim, who has led the communist nation since the death of his father in

1994, died on a train while visiting an area outside the capital, the announcement said.

He suffered a stroke in 2008 and was absent from public view for months.

His designated successor is believed to be his third son, Kim Jong-un,

who is thought to be in his late 20s.

North Korea's state-run news agency, KCNA, urged people to unite behind

the younger Kim.

"All party members, military men and the public should faithfully follow the

leadership of comrade Kim Jong-un and protect and further strengthen the

unified front of the party, military and the public," the news agency said.

A funeral for Kim Jong-il will be held in Pyongyang on 28 December and Kim

Jong-un will head the funeral committee, KCNA said.

The BBC's Lucy Williamson in Seoul says Mr Kim's death will cause huge

shock waves across North Korea, an impoverished, nuclear-armed nation

with few allies.

The announcement came in an emotional statement read out on national television.

The announcer, wearing black, said he had died of physical and mental

over-work. A later report from KCNA said Mr Kim had had a heart attack.

South Korea's military has been put on alert following the announcement

and its National Security Council is convening for an emergency meeting,

Yonhap news agency reports.

Asian stock markets fell after the news was announced.

BBC News

Now what's going to happen? :Oo:

Edited January 11, 2012 by colossus

[ryguy 10]

Que the onslaught of facebook statuses!

What's gonna happen? My cynical side says "absolutely nothing" (Cuba), while the optimist says "Korean spring"

Edited December 19, 2011 by ryguy

[sakura_chan 9]

Waiting for Team America jokes.

[maturin 12]

Well that's what they were grooming his son for. Pretty recently, too. I'm betting a Cuban doctor noticed something and appropriate plans were made.

[Hans Ludwig 0]

Does anyone actually care?

[hobbesy 10]

I remember when I first saw the BBC post, and the form submission text at the bottom said "Are you in North Korea? Please send us your comments using the form below."

Stay classy, BBC.

[THX-1338 10]

Don't worry - their uncommon communistic monarchy still working. :D

Hmm, RIP to Kim, he was born into Khabarovsk region (information not from N-Korea), close to my homeland.

I hope, that leader changing can to start some "thaw" in NK, whith union with SK into common Korean State in future, like Germany, their people deserved it, it's a last big nation, shared by ideology in cold war times. But it's task on long time.

P.S. Hmmm,by the way, Komandante still undead?

[Beagle 684]

Don't worry - their uncommon communistic monarchy still working. :D

Hmm, RIP to Kim, he was born into Khabarovsk region (information not from N-Korea), close to my homeland.

I hope, that leader changing can to start some "thaw" in NK, whith union with SK into common Korean State in future, like Germany, their people deserved it, it's a last big nation, shared by ideology in cold war times. But it's task on long time.

P.S. Hmmm,by the way, Komandante still undead?

I don't see a reunifiction happening like in germany...the gap is alreadyi wide. BRD and DDR were not that far divided in culture, education and comparable prosperity in 1989. The people from DDR could be integrated easily, our current Chancelor and head of goverment is from the former DDR.

can you see a NK politician as head of state in seoul in 15 years?

[maturin 12]

It's not even that. The DDR had to be held apart from West Germany by the military might of the USSR. North Korea's opposition to the South is self-sustaining, and the people aren't about kick out the Party.

I think even China would like to see a united Korea even though it would deprive them of an embarrassing, annoying ally.

I can see the North as a sort of Mexico for the South someday.

[jblackrupert 14]

He died of roneriness

UEaKX9YYHiQ

[Tonci87 163]

May he burn in hell.

I hate to say that about a human who died, but I just can't help myself.

On the other hand: South Korean and Japanese Army are on emergency alert. What will happen if some warmongering general gets in control of their over 4000000 men army and decides to attack south korea?

I consider NK a very instable nation at the moment

[katipo66 94]

What will happen if some warmongering president gets in control of their over 4000000 men army and decides to attack...

Invade another country :)

[ProfTournesol 956]

He'll play poker with Ussama and Ghadaffi. Who's next ?

[hobbesy 10]

Is anyone else up for starting a bet? I'm putting down $50 that there's a military coup.

[VanhA-ICON 11]

Does anyone actually care?

I think we should care. Because if his son is an incompetent moron and easily influenced by the army staff, that could lead to something more than just the usual sabre rattling.

It's a fascinating nation though when you think how complete the brainwashing has been and how successful.... scary stuff.

[Archosaurusrev 12]

69 years old.

Hehehe...hehe....he?

[Beagle 684]

69 years old.

Hehehe...hehe....he?

None of my grandfathers ever reached that biblical age which was btw the average life exspectation of a US citizen in the 60s.

[slatts 1978]

north korea is so last year :p

[Beagle 684]

north korea is so last year :p

Just wait for next year and the topic will be back with a new face that looks very familiar to the old face.

[slatts 1978]

Just wait for next year and the topic will be back with a new face that looks very familiar to the old face.

indeed

i meant it as one of those pop culture things

popular one year, something else the next

or simply a joke :D

[sudayev 27]

!

Yodok death camp awaits to all refusing to mourn and cry after Kim, that's a fact. I'm afraid his death won't change anything, he will become an immortal idol next to Kim Il Sung.

Edited December 19, 2011 by Sudayev

[Messiah 2]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-16241242

And the Oscar goes to...

I see little in the way of what might change for those people who live in North Korea. Decades of doctrine, brainwashing and the threat of re-education camps, and of course the above award winning performances just precludes business as usual for them all. Unfortunately (?) his son has little chance of lasting a year, I'd definitely hedge my bets on a coup that brings an all out escalation of hostilities on the peninsular even closer.

(In hindsight, perhaps BIS should have aimed at a modern Korean conflict for ArmA3 than invading a small greek island, but then the scale of the terrain doesn't lend itself to it.)

[ProfTournesol 956]

I would be very surprised if North Korea would be able to successfully attack any country with its conventional troops. Nuclear threat is something else, but i'm sure China won't let it go too far.

[Dwarden 1125]

May he burn in hell.

I hate to say that about a human who died, but I just can't help myself.

On the other hand: South Korean and Japanese Army are on emergency alert. What will happen if some warmongering general gets in control of their over 4000000 men army and decides to attack south korea?

I consider NK a very instable nation at the moment

civil war or power change is more higher chance than attacking outside ...

the generals and most (if not all) of the officers knows they would not live long after such war begin

the problem is that China don't want to change that

1. it works as trojan horse, occupies US forces

2. it works against unified Korea which always was competition to empire of China

3. it allows them if North Korea goes wild to use force and occupy whole North Korea while rest of world applaud them for preserving peace

(win-win scenario for China as theirs motto is (never release ground You occupied))

[Fox '09 14]

Good riddance.