Kim Jong-il birthday is all about North Korea's succession
On Kim Jong-il's birthday, the North Korean leader's attention appeared focused on grooming his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, for succession. The senior Kim did not attend his birthday bash.
North Koreans dance during a ball celebrating their leader Kim Jong-il's 68th birthday at a square in Pyongyang, in this picture released by North Korea's official news agency KCNA. KCNA said this picture was taken on February 16, 2010.
KCNA (North Korea)/Reuters
Seoul, South Korea
North Korea鈥檚 leader Kim Jong-il turned 68 years old Tuesday in the glow of unstinting praise from his ruling inner circle 鈥� and doubts about the stability of his regime and the country鈥檚 deteriorating economy.
Mr. Kim, however, did not attend a birthday bash at which top officials from the armed forces, the Workers鈥� Party, and the government pledged allegiance to him. While recovering from a stroke, he appears to be focused on grooming his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, for power by taking him on visits to factories and military units.
鈥淗e has a clear objective of how to implement his strategy of survival,鈥� says Paik Hak-soon, senior fellow at the influential Sejong Institute here. 鈥淓verything is being carried out, including the succession issue.鈥� Despite health problems and economic setbacks, says Mr. Paik, Kim is 鈥渕anaging succession politics very carefully.鈥�
As critical as the issue of Mr. Kim鈥檚 health is that of an economy severely depleted by growing shortages of food and supplies and a disastrous attempt two months ago to reform the near-worthless currency.
鈥淲e have no clear view about North Korea in the future,鈥� says Bae Jong-yun, who teaches inter-Korean relation at Yonsei University here. 鈥淚t鈥檚 militarily a strong country, but it could never be strong economically.鈥�
Trust 'to the end of this world'
There was no sign of doubt, however, in reports from North Korea of celebrations highlighted by films and exhibits extolling the 鈥淒ear Leader,鈥� according to Pyongyang鈥檚 Korean Central News Agency. The party newspaper Rodong Sinmun called on citizens to 鈥渇ollow and trust our general to the end of this world,鈥� while observers puzzled over how North Korea鈥檚 troubles would end.
A sign of Kim Jong-un鈥檚 growing power and influence was a report that he now controls the finances of the party 鈥� and was responsible for the ouster of top officials blamed for the failed currency reform. There have been reports of sporadic unrest since the currency was revalued by 100 to one, depleting the coffers of a small middle class.
Last year, says North Korea Open Radio, monitoring events in the North, he took charge of security agencies responsible for controlling a populace that has suffered from disease and hunger ever since a famine claimed 2 million lives in the 1990s.
The worst suffering dates from the death in July 1994 of Kim Jong-il鈥檚 father, the long-ruling Kim Il-sung. Kim Jong-il, as chairman of the National Defense Commission, had been groomed to succeed his father, memorialized as 鈥渆ternal president.鈥�
The Dear Leader is said to have been born in a cabin on the slopes of Mount Paektu, the country鈥檚 highest peak, near the Chinese border, though he was actually born near the Siberian city of Khabarovsk while his father was an officer in the Soviet Army.
The mythology, however, may be breaking down. With rice prices in flux, says a source quoted by Daily NK, which also reports on the North, 鈥渁 number of people,鈥� unable to afford rice, 鈥渁re starving.鈥�