Purges spark doubts on Kim Jong-un's power

[webfact]

WHAT OTHERS SAY
Purges spark doubts on Kim Jong-un's power
Song Sang-ho
The Korea Herald
Asia News Network
Seoul

SEOUL: -- Speculation is rising over the stability of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's leadership, with his frequent purges and executions of senior military and government officials apparently indicating their eroding loyalty toward him.

Seoul's spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, told South Korean lawmakers last week that "scepticism" over Kim's leadership is spreading among power elites in the communist state.

"As Kim Jong-un's distrust toward core senior officials has been deepening, he is strengthening his reign of terror by purging those officials without going through legitimate protocol," an NIS official told media, declining to be named.

Most recently, Hyon Yong-chol, the chief of North Korea's People's Armed Forces, was executed for talking back to Kim and dozing off at a military event. An anti-aircraft gun was used to kill him, according to the NIS. Observers say the execution method highlights the brutality of the dictatorial regime.

Hyon was one of the scores of senior officials recently purged or executed despite their contribution to the young leader's efforts to consolidate his power in the military, party and government, according to the NIS.

Chang Yong-seok, a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies of Seoul National University, said Kim might have eliminated those who were disgruntled about his dogmatic push for seemingly unfeasible policy initiatives. He also pointed out that amid a series of purges, Kim's legitimacy as a leader could weaken.

"Purges and executions could take place against those including technocrats who might have raised questions over the viability or feasibility of Kim's economic and other projects that he has dogmatically pushed for," he said.

"Kim might have felt a sense of inferiority and growing pressure to press with them and make them successful. Thus, he might have eliminated those who looked sceptical of his initiatives," he said, noting that doubts might be emerging among the power elites over Kim's handling of state affairs.

Some analysts, however, believe it is still premature to conclude that the execution and purge of senior officials show that his leadership is weak.

"Yes, some people would say that Kim's leadership may be so unstable that he should resort to this reign of terror. But others may think that Kim is still in the process of consolidating his power by getting rid of those who would challenge his leadership," said Koh Yoo-hwan, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Dongguk University.

"Despite his ruthless executions, no one in the military seems to have risen up against him and challenge him, which could also indicate that Kim's leadership is fairly strong. Kim has frequently demoted or promoted top brass, and executed many of them, and this could also mean he is taking stable control of the military," he added.

Kim's power base is regarded as weaker than that of his late father Kim Jong-il as he took the helm of the reclusive state in 2011 after just several years of grooming. His father was groomed for the leadership over nearly two decades - long enough to consolidate his power.

His relatively weak power base, coupled with a lack of experience in statecraft, Kim appears to be resorting more to a brutal way of controlling the top echelons in the North, analysts said. His reign of terror could also be based on his temperamental personality, they also noted.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Purges-spark-doubts-on-Kim-Jong-uns-power-30260345.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-18

[FangFerang]

That apple did not fall far from the tree at all. He is following his father's successful policies. Speculating that he is losing control is counter-intuityive to the information available. He is consolidating power, not losing it.

Who writes this stuff? The story equates to -- he is either getting stronger or getting weaker. Um, that is lopsided thinking.

If he was losing power he would have been gone months ago....

[Credo]

I think the point is, there are problems in paradise.

[skildpadden]

One thing they didn't mention is that China seem to move away North Korea. The Chinese leader visited the South first breaking the normal traditions - and the North Korean fat boy seems not interested in visiting China.

[quandow]

This was the beginning of the end for Hitler. He started to mistrust his closest advisers, and we all know how THAT turned out.

[elgordo38]

I think the point is, there are problems in paradise.

They hunt foxes in England for sport do they not? He just takes it to another level. Yes I know fox hunting has been banned in England but killing people has not been banned in North Korea.

[Jingthing]

The more doubt.

The more purges.

[Just1Voice]

The more doubt.

The more purges.

The more paranoia,

the more purges.

[catweazle]

The worse his (KJU's) haircut, the more purges

Edited May 18, 2015 by catweazle

[NeilSA1]

This was the beginning of the end for Hitler. He started to mistrust his closest advisers, and we all know how THAT turned out.

He also had reason.

It seems there were at least 27 attempts to assassinate Hitler from 1934 on.

Assassination attempts on Adolf Hitler - Wikipedia, the free ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_attempts_on_Adolf_Hitler

W

[Scott]

Off-topic post and reply removed.

[Anon999]

I think the point is, there are problems in paradise.

They hunt foxes in England for sport do they not? He just takes it to another level. Yes I know fox hunting has been banned in England but killing people has not been banned in North Korea.

In that case why raise the subject?