Is He the Un?

The secretive and unpredictable government of North Korea is greasing its cogs and making moves, the only question is, in which direction? The Korean Worker’s Party is having a large gathering for the first time in 30 years. Three decades ago, when the party last convened, Kim Jong-Il was raised to a position from which he later succeeded his father Kim Il-sung from. Speculators believe that at this meeting, someone will now be put into place to later succeed the current Supreme Leader. Kim Jong-Il has been suffering from a variety of health ailments recently, leading the world to begin questioning who will follow him when passes away.

All fingers point to the third and youngest son of the North Korean pseudo-royal family, 28 year old Kim Jong Un to follow in the footsteps of his father. Educated in Switzerland and a known big fan of NBA basketball, Kim Jong Un it is believed to have been chosen over his two older brothers to become the next Supreme Leader. His recent appointment to the National Defense Commission gives credibility to all this speculation. The National Defense Commission of North Korea is the country’s main governing body, whose Chairman is Kim Jong-Il. Everything that has to do with North Korean politics is always very secretive, and all information regarding internal affairs comes from second hand knowledge, as the North Korean does not make public announcements, and few people are let in and out of its borders.

Many argue that Un might be too young to take the reins of the country if his father were to step down or pass away soon. Some believe that Chang Sung Taek, vice-chairman of the National Defense Committee and brother-in-law to Kim Jong-Il might be the real leader of the country if this were to happen, acting as a steward or a regent for the young and inexperienced heir. In neighboring South Korea, news agencies follow the Kim family closely, relaying information gathered from unbeknownst sources which can rarely be confirmed, yet most of which supports the idea that Kim Jong Un is the heir-apparent.

How this will affect North Korea internally and externally remains to be seen. The passing away of a leader can be a time of change and insecurity, especially when so much power is based around that one person. North Korea remains very closely tied with China, although there seem to be some separation between the two countries over recent years. China has supported UN sanctions against the North, but continues to be very economically active with its small southern neighbor. China’s recent growth in economic prowess has led many to believe that China will push North Korea to follow in its footsteps, and open up more to the world. A change in leadership in North Korea could mean more of the same, or it could lead to a world of change for a country and a regime shrouded in secrecy.