North Korea Leadership?

[Supercharts]

I have a question.
Who or What rules in North Korea. Is the present "Dear Leader" really the Leader or is there a council behind him that really has the power?

[Goshawk]

According to the CIA Fact Book, technically--theoretically--they're a "democratic republic" with an elected President, Cabinet, Legislature, political parties, etc. "NA" stands for "Not Available".

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/kn.html
chief of state: KIM Chong-il (since NA July 1994); note - in September 1998, KIM Chong-il was reelected Chairman of the National Defense Commission, a position accorded the nation's "highest administrative authority"; KIM Yong-nam was named President of the Supreme People's Assembly Presidium and given the responsibility of representing the state and receiving diplomatic credentials

elections: premier elected by the Supreme People's Assembly; election last held NA September 1998 (next to be held NA)

election results: HONG Song-nam elected premier; percent of Supreme People's Assembly vote - NA%

cabinet: Cabinet (Naegak), members, except for the Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by the Supreme People's Assembly

head of government: Premier HONG Song-nam (since 5 September 1998); Vice Premiers CHO Ch'ang-tok (since NA), KWAK Pom-ki (since NA), Sin IL-nam (since NA April 2002)

Legislative Branch:

unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 26 July 1998 (next to be held NA 2003)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - the KWP approves a single list of candidates who are elected without opposition; minor parties hold a few seats In actual practice, it's your basic cult-of-personality "dictatorship".

Profile.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/KimJongIl_profile030108.html
It is difficult to separate fact from fiction when it comes to deconstructing Kim Jong Il — he presides over an impoverished, hermetic country where brainwashing, brutal repression and a fanatical military are very much a part of everyday life.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1907197.stm
But analysts are undecided whether his eccentricities mask the cunning mind of a master manipulator or betray an irrational madman.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/995692.stm
Inevitably, on the top floor there was a large billboard with an old photograph of the so-called Great Leader, Kim Il-sung, buying something from one of the assistants.

The cult of personality in North Korea shifted from the Great Leader after his death in 1994 to his heir, the Dear Leader, Kim Jong-il.

Throughout Pyongyang there are billboards covered with photographs of Mr Kim giving guidance to plumbers, machine tool specialists, farmers and teachers.

There is no trade, it seems, in which he is not an expert.

I bought an English translation of his book, Guidance for Journalists, which is full of accounts of North Korean hacks weeping with joy while covering his official duties.

There is no pretence of objectivity here.

[Trollbane]

Originally posted by Goshawk
There is no trade, it seems, in which he is not an expert.
[/B]

Yep.. After all the story goes that the first time he ever played golf he managed to do 11 hole in ones..

[Supercharts]

"SEOUL (Reuters) - A North Korean fighter plane intruded into South Korea (news - web sites)'s airspace on Thursday and the communist state, again using strident rhetoric, said nuclear war could break out on the peninsula at any time."

And the purpose of this provocative stunt is to?

[Richard G]

This is the lunatic that rules NK.http://ncafe.com/northkorea/images/sunglass_kim.jpg

[aerocontrols]

I like this picture better:


http://www.techcentralstation.com/1051/images/20030120-nkorea-large.jpg


Assembled leaders of the world: We plan to launch nuclear missiles at selected targets in South Korea, Japan, and the Western United States. That is, unless you provide us with

100 billion dollars!

[Michael Redman]

Originally posted by Supercharts
"SEOUL (Reuters) - A North Korean fighter plane intruded into South Korea (news - web sites)'s airspace on Thursday and the communist state, again using strident rhetoric, said nuclear war could break out on the peninsula at any time."

And the purpose of this provocative stunt is to? Challenge Saddam for the title of World's Most Dangerous Dictator.