Something is going on in North Korea, but nobody knows exactly what. Portraits of Kim Jong—il have been taken down from some (but not all) public places. The official Nork news agency denies that any have been taken down, though this is contradicted by several reports.  

His favorite mistress just died, and he is said to be in mourning. Offical television and radio braodcasts from North Korea appear to be toning down the honorifics they use when uttering his sacred name.

Some speculate that Kim is deliberately downplaying the cult of his own personality, in an effort to begin reforming. Others speculate that this may be a sign of unrest, probably within the North Korean military, the only possible meaningful source of opposition innthat land completely dominated by the two—generation Kim Dynasty. So far, the official website of North Korea shows no change in the side—by—side alingnment of the two generations.

Meanwhile Roger L. Simon jests that Team America: World Police's mockery of Kim had something to do with these moves. On the other hand, considering that Kim is such a devoted fan of films that he built his own movie studio and kidnapped South Korea's leading director and his actress wife to teach him the business, maybe Roger is not completely off—base.

I have two bits of data to add to the conjecture. One is to remind everyone that a still—unexplained major explosion took place at a rail junction in North Korea last April, only a few hours after a train carrying Kim Jong—il passed by. Various theories have been floated, including an overhead electrical wire from the catenary touching and exploding a rail car full of dynamite, or a botched assasination attempt on Kim. Missles on their way to Syria have also been mentioned. But whatever the cause,  we can be sure that more than few nerves in the power structure were frayed in the process.

The second datum is that all of the Pacific Rim's leaders except for Kim Jong—il are getting together, starting tomorrow, in Chile. This has got to be making the Norks very nervous indeed, especially now that "cowboy" George W. Bush has been re—elected. The idea of eveyone else deciding to gang up on them, to prevent their nuclear bombs from proliferating, is a natural thought to occur to this bunch of paranoiacs. And they might be right. President Bush has a short list of countries to be dealt with harshly, and things are going a lot better in Iraq now, regardless of the picture painted by the MSM.

Paranoia is anyways the normal state of affairs in Pyongyang, where air raid drills, rigidly enforced, herding everyone into the deep—bore subways and other bomb shelters, take place with regularity. They actually expect a pre—emptive strike to happen, it being only a matter of when, in their minds.

I have no inside scoop. But I am frankly skeptical that Kim Jong—il is merely mourning his concubine. Putting myself in the position of, say, a general in his army, aware of the actual fighting readiness of his armor, which has been starved of fuel and probably everything else for years and years, I would not be anxious to provoke the final showdown with the Imperialists. Anyone in the upper reaches of the Nork power structure, with access to minimal data about the outside world, including their cousins to the south, must at some level realize that this insanity of theirs cannot last forever. The problem is Kim, and his death might be a good start in solving the problems afflicting the Worst Country in the World. 

If he is already dead, the regime needs to introduce the change gradually. They don't want their own people, put through the wringer of mass starvation quite recently, rising up the way the Romanians did. If I were they, I would start downplaying Kim Jong—il slowly but surely, meanwhile sending out signals to President Bush that maybe some arrangement can be found after all, particularly if suffucient funds are available to provide overseas sanctuary for a few hundred families.

Thomas Lifson  11 19 04