Saturday, April 25, 2020

Kim Jong Un's Health


Kim Jong Un has fallen ill and some have speculated about his condition. It would be presumptuous to assume that he is in critical condition. Kim Jong Un underwent surgery allegedly for a heart condition and has had a difficult recovery. The concern is that if he were to pass away, North Korea could become unstable. Japan would have more concern about this considering its objection to its nuclear weapons program. China also has significant investment in North Korean affairs and has sent a medical team to advise Kim. This may actually embolden the US to take more aggressive military action. The desire for regime change has never gone away, which became more intense during the Bush administration. President Obama had a policy of strategic patience, President Trump has vacillated between diplomacy and bellicose rhetoric. Besides external threats to North Korea, the question of a successor becomes a problem. So far, it has been members of the Kim family that have ruled North Korea. Commentators have stated the likely candidate could be his sister Kim Yo-Jong. At the moment it can not be certain that North Korea is going through a sudden change in leadership.    

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