KCIA: Jang Song Thaek Ousted

[citanon]

Kim is a freaking butcher but without the finesse of his father and grandfather. The stupid thing is that he may actually believe in his own superiority and can do no wrong. He just might repeat his grandfather's mistake of starting a war he can't win.

This is my worry too Col. Lil Kim may believe himself to be the new Kangxi.

[astralis]

lil kim seems to be more the self-preservation type rather than the glory-uber-alles type.

[Officer of Engineers]

The nuclear sabre rattling without real nukes points to the other direction.

[winton]

Kim is a freaking butcher but without the finesse of his father and grandfather. The stupid thing is that he may actually believe in his own superiority and can do no wrong. He just might repeat his grandfather's mistake of starting a war he can't win.

lil Kim was educated overseas, so perhaps we need to give him a little credit as to the situation he finds himself in and the country.

I don't think this latest move was anything other than a power struggle where lil Kim had to choose a side.

As to his superiority, he doesn't need to think it, he is the top dog in NK. This move actually boosted his power.

ps. His grandpa started a war that no one won!

[Officer of Engineers]

lil Kim was educated overseas, so perhaps we need to give him a little credit as to the situation he finds himself in and the country.

Bringing toy guns to a real gun fight ain't exactly giving him credit.

ps. His grandpa started a war that no one won!

Japan.

[Double Edge]

lil Kim was educated overseas, so perhaps we need to give him a little credit as to the situation he finds himself in and the country.

Assad & Gaddafi junior were also educated overseas.

I don't think this latest move was anything other than a power struggle where lil Kim had to choose a side.

As to his superiority, he doesn't need to think it, he is the top dog in NK. This move actually boosted his power.

When jon un was to become the leader, i recall reading a lot of derisive comments here about him. And when i see his moves it strikes me that he is trying to consolidate his power. Get his people to take him seriously & fear him so as to secure his position.

At the time the prediction was that he would not last beyond three years. He just took out his nearest competitor.

[SouthKorean]

Assad & Gaddafi junior were also educated overseas.


When jon un was to become the leader, i recall reading a lot of derisive comments here about him. And when i see his moves it strikes me that he is trying to consolidate his power. Get his people to take him seriously & fear him so as to secure his position.

At the time the prediction was that he would not last beyond three years. He just took out his nearest competitor.

Such predictions were undoubtedly premature and without clear proof. From what I've seen, KJU was destined to keep power whether for good or not. His father groomed him well for the job, just as he himself was well groomed by his own father. During the last months of Kim-Jong-Il, KJU was seen more publicly and was appointed to more and more important positions. As for those derisive comments, they were also premature though it seems that they are now accurate. At that time, nobody could have predicted how KJU would have turned out as he was virtually unknown. Hell even his proper name wasn't known for long.
As for being foreign educated, I agree that it matters very little except to predict with little accuracy how a leader may turn out.

[Tech Support]

Uncle Kim was known for his efforts to shift power away from the military towards the ruling Labour party. This latest purge could be an indication that KJU has become a puppet for the military. Another thought is that this is KJU's revenge for the mass execution of his wife's orchestra friends few months ago (assuming that Uncle Kim was responsible for arranging that).

[SouthKorean]

Uncle Kim was known for his efforts to shift power away from the military towards the ruling Labour party. This latest purge could be an indication that KJU has become a puppet for the military. Another thought is that this is KJU's revenge for the mass execution of his wife's orchestra friends few months ago (assuming that Uncle Kim was responsible for arranging that).

Among all the new theories, yours is the first of its kind, and having no proof for your conclusions, I am disinclined to put much stock on them.
In fact, most observers see this as another part of KJU's increasing consolidation of his power, whether military-based or party-based. In fact, for your theory, KJU started his regime by purging a few generals and old guards of the military, so there goes your theory. It would be quite outrageous to assume that he became a puppet for the military in a year without any noticeable changes.

[Officer of Engineers]

The more I read, the more I'm convinced that North Korea is heading towards Civil War. Kim Jong Il had decades to mold his own apparatus under his father's guidance and approval. There were no toes to step on that Kim Il Sung didn't approved of. KJU is now stepping on his father's legacy.

Yes, KJU has the power to get rid of the heads of various serpents that posed a challenge but it's the Law of Unintended Consequences that is going to bite back. It's the underlings who manages the various departments and regiments who's going to run like hell and leaving the whole mess unmanageable. Shooting the manager or the manager runs away is not going to make the office run any smoother, especially when only that manager knows where the books are.

[Tech Support]

Among all the new theories, yours is the first of its kind, and having no proof for your conclusions, I am disinclined to put much stock on them.
In fact, most observers see this as another part of KJU's increasing consolidation of his power, whether military-based or party-based. In fact, for your theory, KJU started his regime by purging a few generals and old guards of the military, so there goes your theory. It would be quite outrageous to assume that he became a puppet for the military in a year without any noticeable changes.

Any sort of "proof" for North Korea related issues is a luxury not many organizations have. If that's the standard for discussion, there won't be much.

There are factions within the military too. The rising-star generals want to get rid of the old dinosaurs, and they see a way through KJU to achieve that. The north korean army recently introduced a mandatory retirement age (at 65). Previously, many old-timers (into their 70's) were gifted high-ranking positions based on their loyalty and service. This is certainly a noticeable change. Is this another of KJU's purge of the KJI era generals, a necessary military reform, or a maneuvering by the younger generals?

According to this article: "Intelligence sources said the North has replaced more than 44 percent of its generals who have three or more stars."
Old soldiers are purged in North-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

Is it the young and fat KJU calling all these shots or the rising power within the military using him? I find it hard to accept that KJU has already consolidated that much power; hard to see the old dudes in the military take orders from a 20-something year old.

[Officer of Engineers]

Wonderful. Majors becoming Generals.

[astralis]

col yu,

The nuclear sabre rattling without real nukes points to the other direction.

meh, KJI did that for years. for that matter, so did mao and stalin and to a lesser extent khruschev.

hell, KJI pushed so hard, the -clinton administration- was on the verge of doing some regime change in '94.

[cdude]

oh well BBC News - North Korean leader's uncle 'executed over corruption'

[Officer of Engineers]

meh, KJI did that for years. for that matter, so did mao and stalin and to a lesser extent khruschev.

hell, KJI pushed so hard, the -clinton administration- was on the verge of doing some regime change in '94.

Which goes to my point. KJI knew when to back off. KJU ratched it up even more when we knew he had duds. BTW, the first NK nuke happened under Bush II.