evolution

Seeing this Cox & Forkum caricature and post made me wonder: just where is Kim Jong-il anyway?

He’s referred to in this Taipei Times story as giving orders to his diplomats, but note the language:

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has ordered his officials to arrange a meeting with a high-ranking US official, possibly with President George W. Bush, a news report said yesterday.

Kim told his Foreign Ministry to make arrangements for a visit to the North by a prominent US figure, personally mentioning Bush, former President George H.W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as possible visitors, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported, citing an anonymous source familiar with North Korean affairs.

Officials at South Korea’s Unification Ministry and Foreign Ministry couldn’t confirm the report.

The cult of personality around Kim is such that if he wanted a policy shift (which is what I assume this would be), I’d think all he’d have to do is get on the state media and say so.

It’s also interesting to note that Kim picked out a successor, according to this story in the Chosun Ilbo.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has decided to pass the mantle of leadership of one of the world’s most repressive regimes to his second son Kim Jong-chul (23), according to AERA magazine, a sister publication of Japan’s Asahi Shimbun.

In its Sept. 26 edition, AERA quotes an informed official as saying Kim Jong-il’s mind was made up. Numerous sources said the last few months have seen a political education campaign on all levels of the Stalinist country including the workplace exalting Kim Jong-chul as the legitimate successor to his spiky-haired father’s personality cult. Such a campaign would be unimaginable without the direct blessing of the North Korean leadership. Leader-in-waiting Jong-chul is referred to as “the Commander” in these lectures.

According to the magazine, Kim, who was born on Sept. 25, 1981, studied at an international school in Switzerland. He is reportedly such a big fan of the U.S. NBA that his doting father built basketball courts at his villas throughout North Korea. Jong-chul ’s older brother Jong-nam (34) fell from grace after he was caught trying to enter Japan on a forged passport.

AERA said “the Commander” could make an appearance in the memorial ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the Workers Party of Korea on Oct. 10, likely to be a massive celebration provided North Korea’s relationship with the U.S. improves.

It’s conceivable that we’re playing nuclear hide-and-seek not with Kim at all but his generals, who are filling in for the 23-year-old Kim Jong-chul while he’s being groomed to take over. It’s also possible that the younger Kim is being propped up as a figure-head to provide cover for a power grab by the army.

I suppose, given North Korean secrecy, that Cylons have replaced the entire North Korean leadership and are doing their evil human experiments there. It’s all speculation at this point.