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| China-Japan-Koreas | |
| Out: "Commander Kim" In: "Brilliant Comrade" | |
| 2009-06-12 | |
| SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- The youngest son of North Korea's authoritarian leader has been given the title of "Brilliant Comrade," a newspaper reported Friday, a sign the communist regime is preparing to name him as successor to the ailing Kim Jong Il. U.S. and South Korean intelligence authorities disclosed during a meeting this week that 26-year-old Kim Jong Un is now being referred to in the secretive regime as "Yongmyong-han Dongji," which translates roughly as "Brilliant Comrade," South Korea's mass-circulation JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported.
The eldest Kim founded North Korea in 1948 in the aftermath of World War II when the peninsula was divided between the Soviet Union-controlled north and the U.S.-backed south. Kim, who was referred to as the "Great Leader," died in 1994, paving the way for the first hereditary transfer of power in a communist nation. His son, Kim Jong Il, became the "Dear Leader." The ailing 67-year-old Kim, who reportedly suffered a stroke last year, is said to be grooming "Brilliant Comrade" Jong Un, the youngest of his three sons, to succeed him. Jong Un reportedly studied at the International School in Berne, Switzerland, in the 1990s, and is said to be proficient in English. Grandiose titles are part of a tradition to stimulate public support in a nation where the media is tightly controlled and little information about the inner workings of the government is available. The leader is given credit for most national projects. The state media carry endless flattering reports about Kim, repeatedly referring to him with his various titles of which "Dear Leader" is the most prominent. Earlier this week, North Korea's main newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, said in an editorial that an important issue concerning the nation's fate and its revolution had been resolved. Cheong Seong-chang of the Sejong Institute think tank outside Seoul said this was an apparent reference to a power transfer."It indicates that North Korea has resolved the succession issue," he said. The developments come as a U.S. official said Thursday that North Korea may be preparing for a third nuclear test in defiance of the United Nations. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the unreleased information, would not provide details regarding the assessment. Analysts speculate credit for any such test would be given to Jong Un to establish his credentials before he takes over. | |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #4 Grandiose titles are part of a tradition to stimulate public support in a nation where the media is tightly controlled and little information about the inner workings of the government is available. The leader is given credit for most national projects. The state media carry endless flattering reports about Gordon, repeatedly referring to him with his various titles of which "Prime Minister" is the most prominent. It's the UKSSR. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2009-06-12 19:23 |
| #3 I've seen pics of him. He looks about 6 yrs old. what? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-06-12 18:51 |
| #2 This idiocy would not have happened if they let McArthur finish what he was sent there for. |
| Posted by: Xenophon 2009-06-12 18:15 |
| #1 Dammit! I was betting on Spiffy Leader. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-06-12 15:56 |