The headlines of the major international news sites and newspapers blared the death of Kim Jong Il today. He died 2 days ago, but the news was left out of public consumption, presumably to maintain order and choreograph the unveiling of his son. Good riddance.
The man was a mass murderer who promoted the deaths of millions of his country's men, women and children. In the 90s, he ruled during a terrible famine. He set up labor and death camps. Death could only have been too kind to him.
And now the question remains - what of the North Koreans? Or simply the 'Koreans' as they were known before the bifurcation of the peninsula at the start of the Korean War in 1950. They live in fear, in isolation, in brainwashing and in hunger. The vested international actors are South Korea, China, Japan, the US and Russia.
China's going through economic hardships themselves, if one were to believe the warnings of Paul Krugman (and I generally do). The South Koreans have prospered since the 1960s and do they really want the burden of unification that the West Germans went through? The US is mired in multiple wars across the world and has little interest in this time of divided government and a realpolitik president in getting involved in another conflict or country rebuilding. Russia seems to be cash-heavy, but is undergoing its own version of public outcry against a kleptocarcy.
So who's got the incentive to do anything but maintain the status quo and let the hermit kingdom continue? Meaning, onward continue the silenced suffering of the (North) Koreans.
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