Kim Jong-Il is dead.

[Rechtschreibfehler]

He died Saturday,
what will happen now in and with North Korea?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16239693

 

[Ferminal]

His son has been groomed for it hasn't he?

I wasn't "around" when Jong-il took over, was there a power struggle?

 

[Granville57]

Wow. Huge news. I'm actually surprised that they even let the word out.
If ever a nation was in need of regime change, this is it.

I hope this marks the beginning of a positive shift in perspective amongst the leaders, although I'm hardly optimistic in this regard. God knows, the last the thing the world needs is a more edgy and paranoid North Korea. This will be quite a story to follow in the next few weeks.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

His son will be the chief of the funeral ceremony, that could be a singn that he will take over the power (or will try to achieve it).
Noone really seems to know anything more than speculative about the inner elite of north Korea. I guess we'll learn a little about that in the next time.
An instable North Korea could turn out to be nightmare (we never, for example, had a mad-man with nuclear weapons yet in history, who knows who could get in controll of them). Also China will probably not just watch if Sout Korea would try to take over North Korea (as everything very speculative).
It's also possible that nothing will really change...

It's very interesting to have a situation for which there isn't a lot of information at all. That never really happens anymore.

 

[craig1985]

Wow, this is huge. History has shown us that when one tyrant passes on, his replacement (usually a son) is worse than his predecessor and gets overthrown in a coup.

 

[Maxiton]

Wow, this is huge. History has shown us that when one tyrant passes on, his replacement (usually a son) is worse than his predecessor and gets overthrown in a coup.

Yeah, but don't forget, Kim Jong-Il was the son of, and replacement for, Kim Il-Sung. Here's the new kid, under daddy's critical eye:

Same as the old kid, probably, just younger. You really have to wonder when they're going to give up the ghost, and just how much bribery that's going to take.

 

[craig1985]

Kim Jong-ll's son must be the fattest person in North Korea.

 

[bridgeman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEaKX9YYHiQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[auscyclefan94]

Kim Jong Il: Now you see, the changing of the worrd is inevitabre!
Lisa: I'm sorry, it's what?
Kim Jong Il: Inevit, inevitabre.
Lisa: One more time.
Kim Jong Il: [shouts] Inevitabre! Things are inevitabrey going to change! Goddamnit, open your ****ing ears!

 

[daveinzambia]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEaKX9YYHiQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

one of my favorite moments in film

 

[greenedge]

This will set back relationships in Asia again. I wonder if Obama will travel to South Korea, just to reaffirm US support???

 

[gregod]

i can't say i am sad about this, but i do fear for the fate of north korean people. transitioning dynasties are seldom stable and this is further complicated by it being an impoverished communist one.

i visited NK once and it is difficult to put into words my impressions of the country and its people. the best way to put it, it is a country of extreme contradictions; great scenic beauty yet crushing poverty, ambition yet few resources, martial in outlook yet with an ill-equipped and literally food-starved military, among many others.

 

[Maxiton]

A guy takes a (sort of) hidden camera into the North Korean capital and comes back with some pretty amazing footage:

Pyongyang Style

And check this out:

The Death of Kim Jong-Il, as Broadcast to His People

 

[Moondance]

I figure this will be a boon to the North-Korean Iron Statue making industry. They'll be getting a lot of new orders.

So, we're on a sad roll here, with prominent people passing away. Christopher Hitchens, Vaclav Havel, Kim Jong-il... Who's next? My money's on Alan Greenspan.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

nice collection of goggles.

 

[Cobblestones]

The first question in this kind of situation is always: how did he die? Was it natural or was he killed as part of a coup? From the information available it looks like the former but you should never exclude the latter.

Also very instructive to check out the international reactions. Outstanding by its stupidity of course is the reaction by the foreign affairs committee. Why is our legislature so full of borderline retards?

 

[danjo007]

this news has inspired me to watch team america tonight.

 

[Maxiton]

http://kimjongillookingatthings.tumblr.com/

Now, all done with looking at things!

 

[auscyclefan94]

I'm going to watch it tommorrow.

 

[Christian]

I think I read somewhere that the son has studied in Europe, so maybe he will change things up a little

 

[Moondance]

I think I read somewhere that the son has studied in Europe, so maybe he will change things up a little

Well, I remember a story when he first came to public attention that he got caught once when he tried to sneak out of the country with a fake passport to go to Disneyland.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I think I read somewhere that the son has studied in Europe, so maybe he will change things up a little

Fat chance.

 

[sublimit]

Fat chance.

Dont upset the Korean kid. He's probably mentally disturbed like his old man and has access to nuclear weapons that are in the range of Australia.

I suspect the lad had his dad executed after Kim called him fat and trying to get him to tidy his room anyway.

 

[Ferminal]

I think I read somewhere that the son has studied in Europe, so maybe he will change things up a little

It might not necessarily mean any less resolve to run a tight regime... see Assad.

 

[python]

every time a tyrant dies i hear that it's the end of his regime b/c an unnatural tyrrany can only last so long... and it goes on for decades.

amazing how much abuse a people can take