- North Korea's ailing leader has chosen his youngest son -- who is just 26, attended a Swiss boarding school and reportedly admires basketball great Michael Jordan -- as heir to the family dynasty that rules the secretive state, South Korea's intelligence service told lawmakers in Seoul.
Kim Jong Un is the third son of Kim Jong Il, the "Dear Leader" who suffered a stroke last summer and who has since appeared thin and frail. He is the grandson of the late Kim Il Sung, the "Great Leader" and founding dictator of North Korea.If Kim Jong Un does become the new leader -- and there are analysts who doubt the decision is final -- this second consecutive father-to-son handoff would be unique among nations that call themselves communist. There was no indication, however, that Kim Jong Il would be handing over power any time soon.
Kim Jong Un attended the International School of Berne, which is about 15 minutes outside the Swiss capital and a few hundred yards from the North Korean embassy. While Kim was at the English-language school, which has about 280 students from 40 countries, he befriended the children of American diplomats and learned French and German, according to the Swiss weekly L'Hebdo.
Kim attended the school under the false name of Pak Chol, the weekly said, and school officials and his classmates "thought they were dealing with the son of the driver of the embassy."
The younger Kim's name surfaced about four months ago as his father's likely successor, but it wasn't until after last week's underground nuclear test in the North that Kim Jong Il informed top officials in Pyongyang and diplomats in foreign missions that Jong Un would be his successor, intelligence officials told members of the National Assembly in Seoul.
One of those lawmakers, Hong Jung-wook, a member of the ruling Grand National Party, said that intelligence officials believe the recent spike in military and political tension on the Korean Peninsula is closely related to the transitional process now underway in Pyongyang. He said in an interview that the South Korean government has created a "special team" to analyze the succession.
"Kim Jong Un is very young, too young for a smooth transition to power," Hong said. "He seems to need support from the military and seems to be conforming to military preferences in his policy direction. We could interpret the recent developments -- the testing of a nuclear bomb and the testing of missiles -- as a way to consolidate power for the military and for Kim Jong Il's successor."
Soldiers, too, are shouting new slogans, including, "With all our hearts, let's protect Kim Jong Un, the young general, the morning star general who inherits the bloodline of Paektu," the report said.
Analysts had believed that Kim Jong Il would name a successor in 2012,(another 2012 apocalypse theory) the centenary of the birth of his father.
source
Where do you see N. Korea within 10-20 years down the line or 50 years down the line? How do you think Kin Jong's son will do as a new successor of the N. Korea? will he be more mellow, same as his father or somewhere in between? Also do you think the N. Korea will continue to develop nukes even after the new successor takes place?
Kim Jong Un is the third son of Kim Jong Il, the "Dear Leader" who suffered a stroke last summer and who has since appeared thin and frail. He is the grandson of the late Kim Il Sung, the "Great Leader" and founding dictator of North Korea.If Kim Jong Un does become the new leader -- and there are analysts who doubt the decision is final -- this second consecutive father-to-son handoff would be unique among nations that call themselves communist. There was no indication, however, that Kim Jong Il would be handing over power any time soon.
Kim Jong Un attended the International School of Berne, which is about 15 minutes outside the Swiss capital and a few hundred yards from the North Korean embassy. While Kim was at the English-language school, which has about 280 students from 40 countries, he befriended the children of American diplomats and learned French and German, according to the Swiss weekly L'Hebdo.
Kim attended the school under the false name of Pak Chol, the weekly said, and school officials and his classmates "thought they were dealing with the son of the driver of the embassy."
The younger Kim's name surfaced about four months ago as his father's likely successor, but it wasn't until after last week's underground nuclear test in the North that Kim Jong Il informed top officials in Pyongyang and diplomats in foreign missions that Jong Un would be his successor, intelligence officials told members of the National Assembly in Seoul.
One of those lawmakers, Hong Jung-wook, a member of the ruling Grand National Party, said that intelligence officials believe the recent spike in military and political tension on the Korean Peninsula is closely related to the transitional process now underway in Pyongyang. He said in an interview that the South Korean government has created a "special team" to analyze the succession.
"Kim Jong Un is very young, too young for a smooth transition to power," Hong said. "He seems to need support from the military and seems to be conforming to military preferences in his policy direction. We could interpret the recent developments -- the testing of a nuclear bomb and the testing of missiles -- as a way to consolidate power for the military and for Kim Jong Il's successor."
Soldiers, too, are shouting new slogans, including, "With all our hearts, let's protect Kim Jong Un, the young general, the morning star general who inherits the bloodline of Paektu," the report said.
Analysts had believed that Kim Jong Il would name a successor in 2012,(another 2012 apocalypse theory) the centenary of the birth of his father.
source
Where do you see N. Korea within 10-20 years down the line or 50 years down the line? How do you think Kin Jong's son will do as a new successor of the N. Korea? will he be more mellow, same as his father or somewhere in between? Also do you think the N. Korea will continue to develop nukes even after the new successor takes place?