Kim Jong Il was unanimously re-elected to North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament, state media said Monday, in elections closely watched for signs of a political shift or hints the autocratic leader is grooming a successor. Turnout Sunday was 99.98 percent, with all voters backing the sole candidate running in their constituency, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.
Observers will be analyzing the list of legislators for clues as to how Kim and the ruling elite will govern the Communist nation over the next five years, and any signs he is grooming a successor. Kim’s third son, Kim Jong Un, reportedly ran for a seat Sunday in what analysts say would be a strong sign he is poised to inherit power. The 26-year-old is the youngest of the leader’s three known sons and is said to be his father’s favorite.
Kim, 67, reportedly suffered a stroke last August, around the time the elections were due to be held. North Korea denies he was ill and did not provide a reason for the delay to March.
So who was the brave soul who voted against him? Or better yet, in what Gulag might he reside?
Aren’t all the banks in N. Korea nationalized? And the populace must all support the Supreme Leader without question?
“So who was the brave soul who voted against him? Or better yet, in what Gulag might he reside?”
That absentee ballot has not yet been counted….
How long before we’re reading the same thing about Chavez in Venezuela? Gotta Love those Democratic People’s Republics.
Don’t worry guys, Obama will go over and talk to him and straiten this whole thing out.
Why do they even bother to vote?
Really!
It just makes them look weak.
Vote or Die!
AND THOSE .02% ARE no longer a problem.
and they wont need to eat anymore.
#4 Because you either vote (in the prescribed manner) or you end up in said gulag.
It amazing that the government in North Korea have been able to keep it together for so long.
For whatever it is worth, try reading the official news releases from North Korea at their website, translated into English.
http://kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm
They release about a dozen or so news stories a day, and have a comprehensive archive. Every single tin-pot dictator in the world gets lavish praise from the North Koreans. And the praise for the brave North Korean worker against the evil South Koreans and Americans is just too much.
If you don’t believe that they are nucking futs, then read some of their news. They are on a totally different planet there.
#8 Nice Find – Reading some of those propaganda stories it is hard to believe it is not a joke. Having been to South Korea and seen the DMZ, I just cannot fathom how they can control the information so tightly that anyone would believe a line like this one:
“… puppet military of south Korea are a group of traitors seized with confrontation and war hysteria, staking their fate on outsiders in utter disregard of reconciliation and unity among Koreans, peace and reunification”
Especially when South Korea has built a reunion museum in hopes that they will someday reunite and see lost family members again. (Complete with a train station ready to link up with rails from the north.)
But I think my favorite quote, coming from the official North Korean mouthpiece is this gem:
“War maniacs should be dealt with arms, not with words.”
Man of the people.
The difference between Bush and Kim is that Kim was elected.
I wonder if this guy even saw ‘Team America’. I’d be glad to send him a copy. Just like I used to wonder if Sadam Hussein had ever seen ‘South Park’. This planet has a long standing history of lampooning leaders such as this. I get the feeling that it would definitely not be cool to live on a planet that can’t laugh at nasty little bastids like this guy.
Must See TV
Tonight on NBC: “Bammy & Kim.
8,
Check out the Vice Guide travel to North Korea. About 9 episodes, but very interesting.
http://www.vbs.tv/video.php?id=1438428757
A very, VERY odd place indeed.
Bush tried to emulate a few of Kim’s favorite tricks, but not everyone was on board. It is so easy to see how the Bushits still long for their leader.
“I am not a Puppet” is a great line. I’d love to see Jeff Dunham make Little Kimmy talk.
NK is a typical left wingnut “paradise”.
The Vice Guide travel to North Korea, 14 freakishly interesting episodes of a place not likely to make your life’s list of places to visit.
20,
I really enjoyed that travel log. It was fascinating, bizarre and strangely compelling. What a nutso place…
At least N Korea has plans to finish the most horrible hotel…
http://www.esquire.com/the-side/DESIGN/hotel-of-doom-012808?kw=ist
What a country…
#12, I hope you are joking, because if you actually believe what you just said, you are a complete partisan idiot.
Until China is out of the equation, I see little change happening for North Korea.
#23. Good luck with that.
PaddyO, don’t be knocking NK, a dog is a fine meal.
Sad sad sad country. Curious to see if this nation ever changes and how it comes to it.
24. Yup. China has no intention of having a democracy in their backyard for their own people to see. China will do as required to keep NK going the way it is so as to provide a buffer for China and its people from the rest of the world.
26, With all the humanitarian aid countries like the U.S., South Korea, Japan, etc. provide to NK there’s little chance of that unless there’s a revolution within NK. People here want to feel comforted that we are somehow helping the NK people (even though our aid only feeds their military, government officials, model citizens and their families). Most of NK’s civilian population starves.
So as strange as it may sound, we are part of the problem perpetuating the regime in NK.
#8
It is easy to control population when only government have weapons, was it that hard to figure it out?
Il isn’t ill?