The Great Korea Thread

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Several members of the National Defense Committee (including the entire Jang faction) have been purged, and there are reports that a palace coup has occured, removing Kim Jong Un of real power.

Source.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Kim Jong Un still MIA.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/north-korean-officials-pay-surprise-visit-to-the-south/2014/10/04/383e76f1-f39c-4c10-9889-12bfce88e150_story.html

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Most likely, Kim Jong Un ate too much stuff, which combined with his giant-sized ego, cause his inside to rupture.

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

Most likely, Kim Jong Un ate too much stuff, which combined with his giant-sized ego, cause his inside to rupture.

So literally what happened to Henry VIII.

[Beezer]

Extreme field guidance can severely damage your ankles.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Wouldn't it be interesting to see Kim Yo-jong ascending to power? It's about time we'll have a female dictator.

[Sol]

[dead0man]

North Korea and South Korea exchange fire after patrol boat violates sea border

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[Bacon King]

North Korea just admitted to their labor camps for the first time ever and also apparently someone fairly high up visited the EU

[ilikeverin]

North Korea just admitted to their labor camps for the first time ever and also apparently someone fairly high up visited the EU

This is very strange.  I suppose North Korea does have a model of "military dictatorship mysteriously deciding that it wants to actually be more free and democratic and stuff and then no-really-actually we're following through on that" in Myanmar if it decides to go that route.

[dead0man]

Koreas exchange fire

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[Simfan34]

Did he show up? Doesn't seem like it...

[politicus]

Did he show up? Doesn't seem like it...

No. "An official state media dispatch listed senior government, military and party officials who paid their respects at the ceremony, but not Kim." He would have been on it, if he was present.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/kim-jongun-misses-workers-party-event-amid-rumours-north-korean-leader-has-been-deposed-9786422.html

[Ismail]

For historical interest, I scanned an English-language book published in Pyongyang in 1979 titled "Modern History of Korea" which some of you may find slightly interesting, although I don't have twenty posts so I can't directly link to it: archive [dot] org/download/ModernHistoryOfKorea/Modern%20History%20of%20Korea.pdf

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

An interesting document.  Beyond the expected excesses of propaganda in anything produced by True Korea, I have to wonder why they devote a half page in the foreword to explain why "chajusong" can't be adequately translated into English.  From the description, it seems that "self-determination" would be an adequate translation, and that the only real reason for not translating it was to point out that in the official True Korean POV, individual self-determination can only be achieved once national self-determination is achieved.

[Ismail]

What I find amusing is that it more or less claims that Kim Il Sung began founding the "real" Korean communist movement at the age of 14 (the Down-with-Imperialism Union.)

[politicus]

According to KCNA Kim Jong-un has just visited a research center and a housing estate, if true that would be his first public appearance in three weeks.

[Ismail]

Kim Jong Il also went absent for short periods. I think a coup would require not just absence, but also a cessation of praise for Kim Jong Un (which wasn't the case, his name continued to be constantly mentioned in DPRK media.)

[eric82oslo]

North Korea seems to be struggling with its economics more than ever now, having been shut out by China, Russia and other countries during the last year. Some think the Organization and Guidance Department (OGD) of the Korean Workers Party might have decided to take the power away from Kim and into their own hands, perhaps because Kim might have refused a closer cooperation with archenemy South Korea: https://news.vice.com/article/why-a-very-specific-kind-of-coup-may-explain-kim-jong-uns-disappearance

"An elite group of exiles from North Korea gathered in September in the Netherlands to discuss the state of the regime they used to serve. The conference included top diplomats, an ex-senior official of the Ministry of Security, and a high-ranking military officer, but the keynote address was given by Jang Jin-sung, formerly a key member of Kim Jong-il's propaganda machine. Included in Jang's speech was a surprising assertion: North Korea is in the midst of a civil war." More here: https://news.vice.com/article/former-top-official-says-kim-jong-un-is-no-longer-in-control-of-north-korea

[politicus]

Here is a link to New Focus International, the site run by high ranking defector Jang Jin-sung, who claims OGD has taken over.

http://newfocusintl.com/

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Perhaps Kim Jong-un's biggest obstacle was the fact he never got time to build his own power base. When Kim Jong-il came to power, there was a lot of scepticism and predictions he won't hold onto it, but he was very busy consolidating his position during his period as designated successor.

Of course, Kim Jong-il had twenty years for this, while his son was too young and hadn't been selected until a few years before his father's death.

[politicus]

Perhaps Kim Jong-un's biggest obstacle was the fact he never got time to build his own power base. When Kim Jong-il came to power, there was a lot of scepticism and predictions he won't hold onto it, but he was very busy consolidating his position during his period as designated successor.

Of course, Kim Jong-il had twenty years for this, while his son was too young and hadn't been selected until a few years before his father's death.

And Kim Jong-Il didn't have the OGD to deal with.

[dead0man]

Twice in the last day a small squad (10ish) well armed Norks were seen inside the DMZ.  First time the South fired warning shots, the Norks didn't return fire but hung around checking sh**t out.  The second time there was a small firefight and then they left.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

The Korean Demilitarized Zone being called "demilitarized" is perhaps the greatest of all unintentional ironies.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Perhaps the most feasible way for the OGD fellows would be either to retain Kim Jong-un as ceremonial figurehead or to somehow share power with him. After all, the whole North Korean system is being build on having one (living) Godlike leader, so it can be difficult to replace this with some faceless collective.

Of course if Kim Jong-un has to go, some other member of the Family would do.