Kim Jong Un in grave condition after surgery, North Korea, Apr 2020

[watergirl62]

Maybe his health took a dive after Kobe Bryant's death? Who knows? I am going to have to go with South Korea on this one.

Recommended pandemic reads:
The Great Successor: The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un by Anna Fifield

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[watergirl62]

Maybe his health took a dive after Kobe Bryant's death? Who knows? I am going to have to go with South Korea on this one.

Recommended pandemic reads:
The Great Successor: The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un by Anna Fifield

<modsnip>

Doh, bad link. My second recommended read from previous post is
Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West

 

[IceIce9]

Well his health remains a mystery:

South Korea says 'no unusual signs' detected about Kim Jong Un's health

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Who could even know what the real story is?

Who is second in command?

I wonder the same thing I watched a movie until 11:00 last night and went to bed without watching any news. Didn't learn about Kim Jong Un surgery until this morning. I wonder how long it will take for the real story to come out?

 

[Falling Down]

I'd argue too that he has body doubles, so who knows what's going on there, right now...

 

[IceIce9]

It is nearly impossible to get a straight story out of North Korea. Remember Otto Warmbier, who allegedly fell into a coma from botulism?

 

[watergirl62]

It is nearly impossible to get a straight story out of North Korea. Remember Otto Warmbier, who allegedly fell into a coma from botulism?

That poor kid. What a f-n nightmare. Now you owe me $2M because I replied to you, IceIce. Another great tell as to how desperate NK is for money.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

It is nearly impossible to get a straight story out of North Korea. Remember Otto Warmbier, who allegedly fell into a coma from botulism?

Besties that they are, I thought the President might have insider information about Kim Jong Un, but when asked during the news conference yesterday, he didn't have a clue.

 

[CSIDreamer]

Besties that they are, I thought the President might have insider information about Kim Jong Un, but when asked during the news conference yesterday, he didn't have a clue.

I think you're confusing President Trump with Dennis Rodman.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I think you're confusing President Trump with Dennis Rodman.

Trump: Kim Jong Un and I 'fell in love'

President Trump said he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "fell in love."

While speaking at a rally for Senate candidate and state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) in West Virginia, Trump spoke about his evolving relationship with Kim.

"I was really being tough and so was he," he said. "And we would go back and forth. And then we fell in love. No really. He wrote me beautiful letters."...

 

[IceIce9]

Trump: Kim Jong Un and I 'fell in love'

President Trump said he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "fell in love."

While speaking at a rally for Senate candidate and state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) in West Virginia, Trump spoke about his evolving relationship with Kim.

"I was really being tough and so was he," he said. "And we would go back and forth. And then we fell in love. No really. He wrote me beautiful letters."...

Gag

 

[Tripod]

Trump: Kim Jong Un and I 'fell in love'

President Trump said he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "fell in love."

While speaking at a rally for Senate candidate and state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) in West Virginia, Trump spoke about his evolving relationship with Kim.

"I was really being tough and so was he," he said. "And we would go back and forth. And then we fell in love. No really. He wrote me beautiful letters."...

He'd most likely work with someone he's established a kind of relationship with, than a completely unknown ( and possibly even more dangerous) replacement to Kim. The Prez is also very, very good at trolling the press who at times can't quite figure out his sense of humor.
It sure is quiet re: Kim's health status. As always, there's a lot going on behind the scenes. If he is or becomes incapacitated, things could get gnarly. Interesting times indeed.

 

[airportwoman]

If he is dead it could end up like Weekend at Bernie’s.

More like Lenin's corpse being kept on permanent display at the Kremlin.

 

[Hatfield]

I think he’s been grooming his sister. MOO

Hmmmm. I do wonder who will become the new head of NC should he perish.

That is one of the big problems with autocratic societies. The new leaders tend to be hand picked and groomed by the previous leader. I wonder if he did much preparation before his health issues.

Didnt Kim have like a brother or another relative and he was almost "normal" in his views which did not go over well by Kim and his government. From what I remember they took him out when he was in another country and vulnerable.

That guy would have made a good replacement because he seemed like he had somewhat normal views.

If Kim doesnt make it, lets hope whoever takes his place is an improvement rather than worse. Scary times for the world until we know for sure how things will go and how their views will be.

 

[watergirl62]

It was Kim Jong-nam. That was so bizarre.

From his birth in 1971, as the eldest son of Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-nam was slated to rule North Korea. But after being sent to a Swiss boarding school, he developed a taste for luxury items and a decadent lifestyle. In 2001, in an incident seen to embarrass his family, Kim Jong-nam was arrested trying to enter Japan to visit Tokyo Disneyland. He later spoke publicly about his belief in political and economic reform for North Korea.

But he was still seen as a potential rival to his younger brother, Kim Jong-un. There were at least two botched assassination attempts against him in 2010 and 2012 and Kim Jong-un was rumoured to have issued a standing order to kill his older brother.

His eventual murder was seen to be a warning shot aimed at high-level North Korean defectors such as Thae Yong-ho, the former North Korean ambassador to Great Britain, who had recently spoken out publicly. It proved effective; in the aftermath Thae Yong-ho and several others cancelled all public appearances and have kept a low profile since.

 

[MassGuy]

Exclusive: China sent team including medical experts to advise on North Korea’s Kim, sources say

BEIJING/SEOUL (Reuters) - China has dispatched a team to North Korea including medical experts to advise on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, according to three people familiar with the situation.

The trip by the Chinese doctors and officials comes amid conflicting reports about the health of the North Korean leader. Reuters was unable to immediately determine what the trip by the Chinese team signaled in terms of Kim’s health.

A delegation led by a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party’s International Liaison Department left Beijing for North Korea on Thursday, two of the people said. The department is the main Chinese body dealing with neighbouring North Korea.

The sources declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the matter.

The Liaison Department could not be reached by Reuters for comment late on Friday. China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment late on Friday.

 

[Tillicum]

Kim Jong Un in 'vegetative state', Japanese media claims; China medical experts dispatched to North Korea

Reports emerged earlier this week that Kim was gravely ill following heart surgery, although that has since been disputed. However, Japanese media now claims that Kim is in a vegetative state following a stent procedure.

Japanese magazine Shukan Gendai reported that Kim collapsed during a visit to a rural area in April. Kim reportedly required a stent procedure following the incident.

Shukan Gendai subsequently detailed how the surgeon in charge of Kim’s operation was not used to dealing with obese patients and was too nervous during the operation, leading to delays that left Kim in a “vegetative state.”

 

[watergirl62]

Vote?

a) Kim Yo-Jong
b)Kim Jong-chul, the older brother
c) the uncle , Kim Pyong-Il
d) two of the above
e) none of the above

There are no other choices.

I pick d.

Kim Jung-un was younger when he succeeded, but there may need to be a male mentor, or at least a figurehead, until the uncle dies or is assassinated.

 

[Catmommy]

While she may have been being groomed by her brother, the culture is not one which embraces a female as a leader at all so his sister is not a shoo in. The backing of the military is all important in a dictatorship and it is doubtful that she has that. I'd expect a coup but time will tell.

 

[Niner]

I say a coup - his sister takes over (after assassinating her older bro)....