3042

Heh, I had to read up on Juche a few times, once when I was writing some background fiction for a game, and yeah, it’s a mix of traditional Korean ideas with some batshit wonkiness that seems to be a product of post -WWII communist blather that Kim Il Sung was famous for. I’ve had to read his stuff, too, and let’s just say Netflix won’t be making a miniseries any time soon. Not based on his writings, at least. Maybe on him.

3043

Man, one of the rumors is they had to put in a stent and something got messed up. I’d hate to be part of that medical team. Stents are about as routine as you can get with heart surgery.

3044

It’s DPRK, you’ll be thrown in the dog pit if your mum/dad/son/daughter/cousin/next door neighbour was on the medical team.

3045

At this point, the doctors probably have a better chance if he dies.

3046

been a flurry of reports over the last hour claiming he has in fact died…

3047

Wonder if he’ll get the SNL full honors treatment?

3048

Not after the nerve agents and AA guns they don’t.

Maybe in a real country. I can’t imagine many North Korean doctors are the best in the world. That would require education, which leads to wrongthink, which leads to disappearing one day along with your entire family.

Or it could just be a situation where complications arose and it wouldn’t have mattered who was there. It does happen.

3049

Every surgery carries a risk. Simple fact. Look at poor Bill Paxton.

The difference is that the world misses Bill Paxton.

3050

I would think that the big question is, who takes over? His sister? There is, I think, a very important rule that stops that. So what do we have? A new family member that nobody has ever seen before? Or the military taking over? I will entertain all theories.

3051

He didn’t have a clear heir, did he? I imagine the sister takes over, or else things get “interesting” over there, and by “interesting” I mean extra-murdery.

3052

They become a Chinese puppet state?

3053

Magic eight ball says. Yeah. Most likely.

3054

I’m pretty sure that medical team from China was more than what’s on the box. They would want to ensure a smooth transition so they don’t get a failed state next to them. Likely some government aides to “help” NK in their time of need to figure out some next steps.

3055

That would probably be the best of all likely outcomes.

3056

I know this is tinfoil hat stuff but I gotta wonder if someone in the Chinese leadership got some Covid brought over with that medical team. A country on the breaking point from loss of life would probably look favorably on some Chinese leadership coming over and “saving” them. Also given the treatment of the Uighurs and Tibetans they have shown a real disregard for human life they think of as less than them. And by they I mean Chinese leadership, not like every Chinese person or some racist bullshit like that.

3057

Yeah, this feels very much like a situation to be wary of the devil we don’t know. KJU was a bad man and a terrible leader.

Him dying and what comes next could very well be worse, maybe, if the DPRK military have a say/stronger voice in his replacement.

Oh also: looks like Jim Sciutto’s scoop from last week was, in fact, kind of on the money.

3058

He did until he had him killed.

3059

This certainly ups the chances that the US will be doing pre-election foreign adventures in North Korea instead of Iran. Assuming we can get Chinese permission of course.

3061

In “normal” times, a transition of leadership in Pyongyang would be a cause for tension, but probably not something that would be disastrous. With a designated or clear successor, a world not preoccupied with a pandemic, and an actual thinking human being as leader of the USA, one who hasn’t done his best to gut our expertise and capability in pretty much every aspect of our government, including the intelligence and military areas, a new leader in Pyongyang would be one of those periods of uncertainty and tension, sort of like when the USSR had a transition, though maybe a bit more wobbly.

Right now, though, all bets are off. I still think the most likely scenario, if Kim Jong Un is actually unable to continue as leader (for whatever reason), is some form of cabal or troika or whatever that will rule collectively for a period until a consensus pick emerges (read, kills all of his/her rivals). This group will likely not want to stir up too much trouble, as they’ll have their hands full, though they will probably bluster and rattle sabers a bit to prove their bona fides.

Now, a rational US leadership would understand that, and play along enough to make sure that the rattling didn’t get too dangerous but also that no one on our side of the DMZ overreacted. But, um, we don’t have a rational leadership, or any likelihood that the people calling the shots in Washington have the experience, temperament, or knowledge to ride this out in the right way. Two ways, at least, it could go pear-shaped. One, the US takes the bizarro path blazed by Trump already and signals weakness and support for the new regime, emboldening them to do goodness knows what, miscalculating perhaps that the US would actually acquiesce in some adventurism they might want to get into. Or two, the US panics and in an effort to look strong/“I’m in charge”/fuck COVID-19, here’s where I can triumph!," overreacts and provokes the North Koreans into doing exactly what we have hoped and prayed they wouldn’t do, for fifty plus years.

Luckily, one weird side-effect of our current inept and ignorant government is that it’s entirely possible that our actions will be totally ineffectual, and Chinak, the ROK, Japan and others can keep the lid on.

3062

Some outlets are now reporting that Kim Jong Un is confirmed dead, and that his Sister Kim Yo-jong has been announced as new supreme leader.