Blogs on North Korea’s Nuke Test
by Richardson ~ October 10th, 2006. Filed under: Blogs & Blogging, Nuclear Proliferation. 
Of course Robert’s ‘breaking news’ post and this update are required reading, as is this from Joshua (now at OneFreeKorea) on a possible embargo. Yohaeng Ilgi looks at the options, and USinKorea goes out on a limb with a prediction; no North Korea within two years. Gypsy Scholar posts on bluffing vs. baffling, and Kevin sums up the situation for his Dad. For some humor, see Beloved Leader and The Yangpa. But Kevin’s post on student reactions to the test demands a quote:
One student surprised me with her take on Kim Jong Il. “I sort of liked him until today,” she said, “But now I hate him.” I kept a poker face, but my guts were writhing and my testicles kept popping in and out of my body like turtle heads. My asshole started shrieking ultrasonically; little edible dogs screamed in response and then exploded outside our building (NB: I’ve decided to name any future canine pet “Yummy”). Liked Kim Jong Il?
October 10th, 2006 at 11:11 am
Thanks for the shout-out. Much appreciated.
Kevin
October 11th, 2006 at 12:38 am
About 10 years ago, I predicted that North Korea wouldn’t be last for more than 15 or 20 years. I believed that North Korea simply couldn’t last very long if it didn’t change its ways. I was also certain, and still am, that North Korea could not survive long after Kim Jong Il’s death. I blame nepotism. Simply put, Kim Il Sung has placed far too many of his family members and long time allies in positions of power, and these people have in turn placed their own children in key positions as they retired. To top it all off, Kim Il Sung is believed to have fathered far more children than the ones who appear on the official list, and some of these have grown up to become key figures in North Korean politics. The children of dead ‘national heroes’, most of which are now in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, were raised as Kim Il Sung’s children, and groomed to play important roles in the governement. These people were probably too young to object when their eldest ’sibling’, Yura Kim, began to be known as Kim Jong Il as he began vying for the ‘throne’ in the late 70’s. As adults, they wield considerable influence in North Korea and would have a say in who the successor to Kim Il Song will be. It’s also likely that factions exist within the North Korean government along hereditary lines. All of this could lead to considerable conflict within the North Korean government, more so if it looks like North Korea is on the verge of collapse…which it is.
October 11th, 2006 at 12:50 am
…North Korea is indeed ‘Choson’… it even repeats the old dynasty’s mistakes.