Maybe there could be some way to understand how the next leader (if the government remains until then) will be groomed for leadership by looking at how Kim Il Sung groomed Kim Jong Il for the job. While not a lot is known what went on behind closed doors in the decision making process, there are some interesting articles and papers on the path to leadership. We shall look at the Policy Elites paper which tells the story of the succession pretty well. Also, there is sopme new information I ran into on the history of how North Korea was formed by the Soviets. While this may not give insight to the next possible succession because of the differences on how things were handled with Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, it is still interesting to see how the first dynastic succession in the history of communism took place.
We shall look into an interesting section called “Inside North Korea’s Black Box: Reversing the Optics” by Alexandre Y. Mansourov. I happen to disagree a lot with the assessments because it seems to disagree with other economic writings I happen to agree with. To me, North Korea has not really recovered from the famine of the mid-to late 1990’s, and only tried to present a paradise front. Of course, the current floods did not help either, but that happened after the paper was written, so that cannot be used against the author obviously. However, the economic changes in North Korea are not really the focus of this posting, it is how the transition from Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il took place.
Why not enjoy a new series by Songunblog? I have not been there in quite a while and noticed some new ones. This looks like a short four part series about Kim Il Sung and what he supposedly did in 1994. I guess it is to boost the deity of Kim Il Sung before he died the same year. I am not too sure, but that may be a good guess. So without further ado…
Edit: I did not see the video before posting, and noticed something that is not seen everyday. This is actually the first time I heard any of the leaders speak (most of the time it is majestic music) other than some song he sang. Sounds like he swallowed sand, and I could only imagine what kind of fear he would instill in his minions if he ever got seriously mad…
The showcase city of the privileged and the stop for visitors is drowning. The sweeping boulevards, gigantic buildings under construction, the pretty faces of healthy folks putting on a seemingly scripted routine a lot like The Truman Show is interrupted. However, the show must go on, and most likely, the precious aid coming from all over the place will most likely go there first. I suspect the paradise city will be back to where it was before ready to greet the few visitors it allows in to show the greatness of the leaders who adorn the walls, monuments, billboards and hearts of those that reside there. The mass games are still slated to give a propaganda extravaganza despite the devastation state controlled media is frantically reporting. People from all over the place will go and pile praises on mythical leaders who enjoy god-like status despite the decades of suffering under the iron grip. While the games go on, people outside the May Day Stadium are piling sandbags, looking for loved ones, finding any scrap of food, and something to sleep in. Chances are, if the person in need is not in the class of the privileged, they will be last in line if not forgotten.
This is a very good read by Bruce Klingner. Again, there is not much for me to comment on, because this explains everything just fine. In a nutshell, it outlines the problems and the possible solutions.
I updated some of the plugins and added some new ones in case you have not noticed including a widget for the elections of the United States as well as my IM online status. I am usually on, so if any readers want to drop in and say hello, please feel free to do so. Also, make sure to drop into the forums and invite others to join there as well. Thanks!
Maybe there could be some way to understand how the next leader (if the government remains until then) will be groomed for leadership by looking at how Kim Il Sung groomed Kim Jong Il for the job. While not a lot is known what went on behind closed doors in the decision making process, there are some interesting articles and papers on the path to leadership. We shall look at the Policy Elites paper which tells the story of the succession pretty well. Also, there is sopme new information I ran into on the history of how North Korea was formed by the Soviets. While this may not give insight to the next possible succession because of the differences on how things were handled with Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, it is still interesting to see how the first dynastic succession in the history of communism took place.
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