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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Spy Intercept Casts Light on Power Struggle in N.Korea |
| 2006-05-10 |
| An East Asian intelligence agency has successfully tapped into frequent calls made by Kim Jong-il's oldest son Kim Jong-nam from Beijing to the North Korean leader's younger sister Kim Kyung-hee in Pyongyang, the Sankei Shimbun reported Monday. In the calls, Kim Jong-nam complains that he was detained in Japan because of then incompetence of public security officials in the North, according to the Japanese daily. In May 2001, Kim Jong-nam attempted to enter Japan on a forged passport but was unmasked and detained and later deported. Kim Kyung-hee also complains about the misrule of the Kim Jong-il regime, who ordered the demotion of her husband Chang Song-taek from his position as department head in the ruling Korean Workers Party. The two reportedly have occasional drunken conversations that last more than an hour. The paper said they appear to have joined forces with some success, with the restoration of Chang Song-taek confirmed at the beginning of the year. Competition to succeed Kim Jong-il has as a result heated up between the eldest Kim Jong-nam, Kim Jong-chul, the son of the leadersÂ’ wife Ko Young-hee who died the year before last, and the third son Kim Jong-woon. With their future riding heavily on the outcome of the power struggle, military and party officials have split into three factions supporting one of the candidates, the Sankei says. This may be the reason the North Korean leader has told his circle he will not be naming a successor until his 70th birthday and vowed in his birthday address on Feb. 16 to continue working even into his 80s and 90s. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #11 Saddam's daughter + Chavez's daughter + Kimmie's > three for Hillary. Of course you know we American = Amerikan, Fascist = Hald-A-Commie Male Brutes are doomed. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-05-10 23:33 |
| #10 Maybe if they would all convert to Islam, then the President of Iran would be willing to be their President, too. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-05-10 21:28 |
| #9 Gang of Two? How about the One Man Gang? |
| Posted by: Raj 2006-05-10 20:50 |
| #8 I'm supporting Kim Jung-Dung, if there is a dark horse, because you can never have too much dung in NK. |
| Posted by: Inspector Clueso 2006-05-10 20:27 |
| #7 I think RB needs throw our massive community support behind one of the potential new NORK leaders. Any of 'em wear wingtips? |
| Posted by: 6 2006-05-10 17:50 |
| #6 Gang of Two? |
| Posted by: Xbalanke 2006-05-10 17:38 |
| #5 I suspect you're right LH. I might even believe that they heard nothing of the sort. |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2006-05-10 16:12 |
| #4 I presume whichever East asian intell agency heard this, assuming they really did, leaked it intentionally to sow turmoil. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2006-05-10 15:54 |
| #3 They die of natural causes, RWV. Of course, dying by a hail of bullets is pretty natural in NK. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-05-10 15:48 |
| #2 I don't think that Dear Leader is a job from which you can retire. I don't think he would live 5 minutes after a successor was sworn in. |
| Posted by: RWV 2006-05-10 15:34 |
| #1 Do you have any idea hour flupping busy he is? |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2006-05-10 15:17 |
