Politics, North Korean Style

[cs123]

Our guys have nothing on the North Koreans

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...tar-round.html

Kim Chol, vice minister of the army, was taken into custody earlier this year on the orders of Kim Jong-un, who assumed the leadership after the death of his father in December.
On the orders of Kim Jong-un to leave "no trace of him behind, down to his hair," according to South Korean media, Kim Chol was forced to stand on a spot that had been zeroed in for a mortar round and "obliterated."
The execution of Kim Chol is just one example of a purge of members of the North Korean military or party who threatened the fledgling regime of Kim Jong-un.
So far this year, 14 senior officials have fallen victim to the purges, according to intelligence data provided to Yoon Sang-hyun, a member of the South Korean Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee.

[Franco Cozzo]

Can they come and sort out our parliament?

[flappist]

Really...... so how far over the speed limit was he going?

[cs123]

Originally Posted by flappist

Really...... so how far over the speed limit was he going?

New hoon laws.

[grandpa_spec_F6]

I want to make a joke, but it's such a god awful way to meet your maker I can't but help feeling sorry for the guy.

That and 100 days of 'mandatory mourning', as well as being sent to labour camps if you didn't attend a mourning ceremony within 2 days (or something like that) and show EXTREME DISTRESS...

[Kryton]

Yet another reason why this guy needs to be taken out himself.

[Outbackjack]

How about we all chip in and send Harold Screwloose over there!!!!

[Dusty1]

Like his old man he is keeping his friends close. These jokers all do this, Stalin, Hitler, Castro, Lenin, Saddam. He'll get his, most likely when the country falls over again and the people rise up.

North Korea is a basket case, and the real fighting will take place when the North does collapse.

[BHDOGS]

it is interesting what one man with a single bullet can do to change a country if he has luck and courage on his side however i fear the people will never rise up against him as unlike other country there is no internet barely electricity or even food a starving population with no communications has very little effective means of rising up from what i could see last year even the lower soldiers were starving

[MITCHAY]

I wonder if he will have a pleasant end like Gaddafi did. All well and good to be a dictator until the people get a hold of you.

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

I wonder if he will have a pleasant end like Gaddafi did. All well and good to be a dictator until the people get a hold of you.

And are things better in Libya? or worse?
How about Iraq?

Since it seems political threads are allowed.....

[karj]

North Korean politics is very complicated. The military were given a lot of power during the days of Kim Jong Il, including financial interests in the economy. Now that Kim Jong Un has taken over, he needs the support of the military, but is trying to remove the significant powers they were gifted under his fathers rule. If he can stack the military with people loyal to him, he will be able to reposition the balance of power with the governing Workers Party away from the military, thus able to undertake the necessary economic reforms to lift his people out of poverty.

[Bossxr8]

Hungry people don't stay hungry for long,
The get hope from fire and smoke as the wheat grows strong.

-Rage against the Machine.



They will have to rise up eventually, no dictator lasts forever.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Hungry people don't stay hungry for long,
The get hope from fire and smoke as the wheat grows strong.
-Rage against the Machine.
They will have to rise up eventually, no dictator lasts forever.

Problem is, the situation there is so ingrained 99% of the population are in a mindset that the situation they are in is just the way it is. They were born into it, from parents who were born into it.

They have Government controlled EVERYTHING. Most of what North Koreans know has been planted there from birth, throughout their schooling and into their adult life.

To go against that thinking is a very dangerous thing. Would you honestly risk the death of all your family in a vain effort to break the status quo???

There will be no uprising, no raging against the machine unless there is a strong, external influence there to help.

The South Koreans with the help of the Americans will get there eventually. Large South Korean companies have been waiting for a while now. In fact, one of the main buildings on the border between north and south (The DMZ) is owned by Hyundai, or LG I think.

I have been to the border on a tour run by the US Military. Very strict rules about your conduct must be observed - after all, the 2 countries are still technically at war I believe, and the North Koreans are not that far away, standing at watch towers watching you with very real, very loaded machine guns.

I was actually going to go to North Korea for a holiday a month ago. It's costly, and very few get to go but a wedding at the same time quickly shelved that idea.....

Time will tell I guess.

[Bossxr8]

When you are going to starve, would you just accept your fate or try to do something about it.

I know what you are saying though, they have been unbelieveably brainwashed. But with the way technology is bringing global information to the people its just a matter of time before they realize that their way of life isn't the norm.

And yes, they are still technically both at war, only a seizefire has been in effect since the 50's, the war was never technically declared over.

[mik]

this bloke has serious issues, imagine being one of his body gaurds and you pass wind near him......................

[Dusty1]

Silly thing I found about the DMZ tours I've been on two, was the way the yellow line on the ground told you where to photograph from, and the Korean troops always having an American soldier close by.

The infiltration tunnel was interesting to go into, 10000 troops am hour through it potentially, they were small and still are and that the South don't know if there are more being built now.

Also, the Japanese tourists got to the tunnel using a special train, the two tours I went on, went had to walk down the long ramp.

[SteveJH]

I believe the each American unit has an attached South Korean liason officer as well.

[Stugots]

The DPRK regime could wither and die virtually overnight and reunification could occur - if China (and to a lesser extent Russia) wanted it too. They are responsible for propping it up and perpetuating it's existence for geopolitical and security reasons.

If the North collapses, the more prosperous South would assume political control and influence. The US government being an ally and it's military being well entrenched on the peninsula, would establish itslef throughout the north right up to the borders of Russia and China.

Russia and China don't want US troops in the region let alone their national borders.

North Korea is China's guard dog. That's why it survives.

[glavas]

Originally Posted by Stugots

The DPRK regime could wither and die virtually overnight and reunification could occur - if China (and to a lesser extent Russia) wanted it too. They are responsible for propping it up and perpetuating it's existence for geopolitical and security reasons.

If the North collapses, the more prosperous South would assume political control and influence. The US government being an ally and it's military being well entrenched on the peninsula, would establish itslef throughout the north right up to the borders of Russia and China.

Russia and China don't want US troops in the region let alone their national borders.

North Korea is China's guard dog. That's why it survives.

I dont even think south korea would want the north. Imagine trying to feed another 20 million people south korea would go broke over night if the north collapsed

[Stugots]

It would be a struggle but you have to understand how powerful the notion of re unification is in the Korean psyche, such issues can be managed. On the other hand the collapse of the north would mean embargos lifted and enhanced trade routes between China & Russia which is gold for an industrial powerhouse like Korea.

Anyway, it's all hypothetical. That scenario is decades away at best.