The American President, Donald Trump’s war with the media over ‘fake news’ may be attracting the attention of the world on a daily basis, but on the other side of the globe the Kim dynasty and their stranglehold on power in North Korea continues to grow as it approaches its seventh decade.
Korea was split after World War II into North and South Korea, a by-product of the early stage of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the USA. The North invaded the South in June 1950, and although hostilities ceased in July, 1953, when an armistice was signed, a peace treaty has never been signed and technically the countries are still at war.
The Kim dynasty, officially referred to as the Paektu Bloodline, began in 1948 with Kim Il-sung, known to his nation as the Great Leader, who ruled until his death in 1994. A change in the constitution in 1998, elevated him posthumously to the title of Eternal President of the Republic. His successor, Kim Jong-il, his eldest son who responded to the titles of Dear Leader and later The Great General, died in December, 2011.
There are conflicting reports about Kim Jong-il’s demise with the North claiming he passed away due to a massive heart attack whilst the South reported he died in a fit of rage over the construction faults of a power plant. His youngest son, Kim Jong-un, the Brilliant Comrade was elevated to be the ruler, in keeping with the North Korean government’s claim of the people’s devotion to the Kims.
Kim Jong-un, the Supreme Leader, (the family does appear to have an obsession with titles) has continued in the mould of his predecessors in dominating the leadership of the most secretive and totalitarian regime in the world today. While his father was rumoured to have spent a lot of his time watching movies from his very large private collection of DVDs, the third Kim, believed to be in his late twenties when he took over, focused on developing the country’s nuclear programme and keeping his enemies, real, or imagined in check.
The North Koreans had agreed in February 2012, to cease nuclear testing and long range missile launching. However, they violated the agreement in April, 2012 by launching a satellite that failed shortly after takeoff, and in December, they successfully put a satellite into orbit via a long-range rocket. In February, 2013, in an act strongly condemned by the international community, they carried out a third underground nuclear test.
Kim’s regime performed their fifth and most powerful underground nuclear test in September of last year despite the imposition of the toughest ever nuclear-related economic sanctions by the United Nations Security Council six months earlier, much to the consternation of their southern counterparts. There was further condemnation by the international community and calls for the country’s denuclearization.
Beijing fears a collapse of their ally and the chaos that might bring, not the least of which would be the accompanying flood of refugees into their territory. Worse yet would be a united Korea under the leadership of South Korea, with the possibility of US troops stationed on the Chinese border. China therefore has continued to be a source of food, fuel and access to the lifeline of trade routes.
The nuclear programme was originally spearheaded by Russian rocket designers and missile experts whose skills were no longer required by the Soviets as the Cold War ended and arms agreements were signed. With Russia’s failure to develop a private industry for satellites, impoverished scientists sought work elsewhere.
In February, Kim launched a ballistic missile that is considered medium range, and it landed three hundred and ten miles away in the Sea of Japan. This action was seen as a direct response to the new American President’s boast two days before, that defending the nuclear threats of North Korea was a “very, very high priority,” and this during an official visit of the Prime Minister of Japan to the USA.
Kim appears to have gone too far this time. In the light of Trump’s muted response, China announced that within six days they were suspending the importation of coal for the rest of the year, a vital source of hard currency for the impoverished nation. The North Koreans responded by accusing Beijing of “dancing to the tune of the US” and “styling itself as a big power.”
When Kim Jong-un’s older half-brother Kim Jong-nam was assassinated with an internationally banned chemical substance at Kuala Lumpar International Airport, Malaysia, the entire world was thrown into shock. Despite denials from Pyongyang, it is generally felt that the hit was ordered from the North Korea against the exiled Kim who lived mostly in Macau, China. This execution is just another in an ever growing list of human rights violations and ordered killings that have occurred on Kim Jung-un’s watch.
China, their closest ally throughout the country’s existence, hardly ever uttering a condemnation over their actions and finding ways to avoid imposing full UN sanctions, may have realised too late that the kid next door isn’t playing here.
The time has come for the world and sit up and take notice that this erratic thirty-three year old with the nuclear toys wants to be a serious regional player in South Asia and on the world stage, and he thinks he can have his own way. Is Kim bluffing? Does he really want to negotiate a halt to the nuclear programme, and if he does, what does he want in exchange? Who is going to blink first here? Some experts feel Kim can have long range nuclear missiles by 2020; is the world too late to stop him?
