SODOM & GOMORRAH: Western media is so funny. The headline “Young Heir Faces Uncertain Transition in North Korea” is kind of a lie.
The news to hit over the weekend was that Kim Jong-il passed away. The Dear Leader had been suffering from an assortment of ailments for some time, and rumors of his death had circulated before. State media in the communist kingdom confirmed the death, which in all reality probably took place several months ago. [Edit: These photos actually support my claim that Kim Jong-il has been dead for some time. Dressing a fellow up in a big coat, dark glasses, and a hat is kind of suspicious. And if my eyes don’t deceive me, isn’t that the new Dear Leader standing directly behind and to the right of the lady who is trailing the imposter?)
The New York Times claims that Kim Jong-un, Dear Leader’s son, is stepping forward with “uncertainty.” The Times likely believes this because they couldn’t figure out what Kim Jong-un even looked like until some time last year. Kim Jong-un had been tapped as heir apparent last year, and his father has used the time since his stroke to solidify his son’s image as the next leader.
The Times is skeptical that the new leader can prevent confrontation with the West and the collapse of the North Korean economy. They have taken a lot of things on faith.
I would suggest that Kim Jong-il has been dead for several months. I would also pose that the former leader did not want to name an heir because the heir might try to get rid of him; after his stroke, it was clear that the late Kim was on his way out, and thus not in need of any early prompting. I may also put forward the idea that anyone who had mastered the art of terror to the level that Kim Jong-il did probably got rid of any opposition to his heir a long time ago.
The new regime will likely last some time. After all, these are the people who invented the hunger-quenching noodle; a regime of such ingenuity can handle losing one guy.