Ave, Joshua!

Joshua Stanton's report on the 12/12 execution of Kim Jeong-eun's uncle, Jang Seong-taek, contains the following interesting insight into the mind of the North Korean government:

The very fact that North Korea concedes that a recently-esteemed and trusted leader secretly despised and plotted against Kim Jong Un is an acknowledgement of the unthinkable. It shatters one of the most sacred illusions of North Korean propaganda. Had someone tried to overthrow Kim Jong Il (and someone probably did) Kim Jong Il would never have admitted it (and he didn’t). Both Jang’s execution and this announcement suggest that Kim Jong Un is a much more volatile man than his father, and much less schooled in the ideology that explains his father’s longevity. For once, I’m astonished by North Korea’s candor.

Hey, Tom! See what North Korea did? They sacrificed an official for you on your birthday! You've got some admirers above the DMZ, my friend.


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