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| China-Japan-Koreas | |
| New sign of rising power for new Sonny Boy's uncle | |
| 2011-12-26 | |
SEOUL: North Korean state TV footage on Sunday showed Jang Song-thaek, the power behind the communist stateÂ’s throne, wearing a military uniform with the insignia of a general, another sign of his rising influence after the death of Kim Jong-il.
Kim Jong-un was hailed by state media on Saturday as “supreme commander” of the North’s 1.1 million-strong armed forces, the title held by his father. While the younger Kim has been described as the “Great Successor,” a senior source told Reuters this week Pyongyang will shift from a strongman dictatorship to a coterie of rulers including the military and Jang, Kim Jong-un’s uncle. Jong-un, in his late 20s, has also been called by his official title of vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the North’s ruling party. Jang married the daughter of the country’s autocratic founder, Kim Il-sung, in 1972, to join the ruling family. A Seoul official familiar with North Korea affairs said it was the first time Jang has been shown on state TV wearing a military uniform. His appearance was interpreted as meaning he has secured a key role in the North’s powerful military, which has pledged its allegiance to Kim Jong-un. Sources with close ties to North Korea and China have said Jang is the real power behind Pyongyang’s succession process. North Korea’s state media have geared up their propaganda machine since Saturday in an apparent bid to smooth the untested Kim Jong-un’s succession and show his grip on the military, which is trying to develop a nuclear arsenal. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2011-12-26 22:09 |
| #1 |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2011-12-26 19:08 |