# Kim Jong Un croaked his uncle **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 12, 2013, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197 "2013-12-12T21:57:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/1 "2013-12-12T21:57:37Z")
You may have heard that Kim Jong Un’s uncle was dragged out of a televised meeting the other day. Breaking news is that the Kim Jong Un’s uncle, Jang Song Thaek, has been executed. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/2 "2013-12-12T21:59:24Z")
Served him right. He _was_ a womanizer, don’t you know. (That was one of the charges made/fabricated against him by his nephew.) ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/3 "2013-12-12T22:03:25Z")
That’ll teach him to double dip his chip. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/4 "2013-12-12T22:16:09Z")
[Link](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/12/jang-song-thaek-executed_n_4435294.html) > [@](#): > > PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — North Korea on Friday announced the execution of Kim Jong Un’s uncle, calling the leader’s former mentor a traitor and “worse than a dog.” > > The announcement came only days after Pyongyang announced through state media that Jang Song Thaek — long considered the country’s No. 2 power — had been removed from all his posts because of allegations of corruption, drug use, gambling, womanizing and leading a “dissolute and depraved life.” ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/5 "2013-12-12T22:20:48Z")
I’ve only been following this casually so please forgive my ignorance, but why exactly did this guy need to go? Ah - thanks Johnny ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/6 "2013-12-12T22:28:24Z")
"corruption, drug use, gambling, womanizing and leading a “dissolute and depraved life.” In other words, he was too “Western.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/7 "2013-12-12T22:45:49Z")
Reports are he was a stabilizing force and he supported Chinese economic policies. His ouster and execution could be seen that the Baby Dictator might want to throw a temper tantrum and not understand the consequences of that tantrum until it’s too late. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/8 "2013-12-12T22:55:40Z")
Insanity seems to run in the Kim family. Seem like each generation is nuttier than the previous one. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/9 "2013-12-12T23:03:42Z")
People here don’t seem to understand how depraved North Korea has become. Have you forgotten this thread: “Kim Jong-un’s ex-girlfriend executed…for porn.” [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=16619159](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=16619159) ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/10 "2013-12-12T23:08:31Z")
It’s like Stalin was reincarnated as a little fat boy with a stupid haircut! Serves him right. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/11 "2013-12-12T23:55:07Z")
Wow, Kim Jong Un is such a jerk! ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/12 "2013-12-12T23:56:23Z")
But doesn’t the West [contribute](http://citelighter-cards.s3.amazonaws.com/p17dka37d314nsk018g2176q1qkn0_73830.jpg) to these [Zombie games](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Panmunjeom_DMZ.png) with what goes on [at the border](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BBX9WmaC4r0/TbZPcBRFwcI/AAAAAAAAEbQ/dndNDJFDwXY/s1600/PANMUNJOM-DMZ-JSA-NORTH-SOUTH-KOREA-PANMUNJEOM-DEMILITARIZED-ZONE-4-REPUBLIC-OF-KOREA-SOLDIER.jpg)? If the Little Boy Dictator only thinks of this as a real life video game, at what point does he pull the trigger and not realize it’s not Amiga Space Battle? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/13 "2013-12-13T00:09:36Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > It’s like Stalin was reincarnated as a little fat boy with a stupid haircut! > > Serves him right. Stalin reincarnated as Eric Cartman. ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/14 "2013-12-13T01:07:35Z")
This guy is executed because of alleged drug use, gambling, womanizing, and leading a dissolute and depraved life, and yet on the other hand, they fucking LOVE Dennis Rodman? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/15 "2013-12-13T01:15:09Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > But doesn’t the West [contribute](http://citelighter-cards.s3.amazonaws.com/p17dka37d314nsk018g2176q1qkn0_73830.jpg) to these [Zombie games](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Panmunjeom_DMZ.png) with what goes on [at the border](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BBX9WmaC4r0/TbZPcBRFwcI/AAAAAAAAEbQ/dndNDJFDwXY/s1600/PANMUNJOM-DMZ-JSA-NORTH-SOUTH-KOREA-PANMUNJEOM-DEMILITARIZED-ZONE-4-REPUBLIC-OF-KOREA-SOLDIER.jpg)? If the Little Boy Dictator only thinks of this as a real life video game, at what point does he pull the trigger and not realize it’s not Amiga Space Battle? Help me out here - I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/16 "2013-12-13T01:15:28Z")
BBC is speculating he had too much of a personal power base. As for the old girlfriend’s execution, she may have had something on Kim … or maybe on his wife, as I think she belonged to that same troupe whose erotic shenanigans were the excuse for their execution. Several of that troupe were executed. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/17 "2013-12-13T02:20:58Z")
Well, the holidays are sure going to be awkward in Pyongyang this year. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/18 "2013-12-13T02:22:30Z")
Misleading thread title. “Croaked” not “Un-croaked.” ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/19 "2013-12-13T02:25:50Z")
Holidays in North Korea? Here is the list (notice Christmas is missing): > **[Public holidays in North Korea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_North_Korea)** > > This is a list of public holidays in North Korea. See also the Korean calendar for a list of traditional holidays. As of 2017\[update\], the North Korean calendar has 71 official public holidays, including Sundays. In the past, North Koreans relied on rations provided by the state on public holidays for feasts. Recently, with marketization people are able to save up money and buy the goods they need. > The Day of the Sun, the birthday of its founder and first leader Kim Il Sung, on 15 April is the... ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197/20 "2013-12-13T02:32:44Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > I’ve only been following this casually so please forgive my ignorance, but why exactly did this guy need to go? There are three theories: 1. It’s a sign that Kim is firmly in power. He no longer needs to worry about being overthrown so it’s safe for him to settle old grudges and kill off potential rivals. 2. It’s a sign that Kim is not firmly in power. Opponents in the regime aren’t able to go after him directly yet but they’re picking off his supporters to weaken him. 3. It’s a sign that Kim is insane. Which is always a safe assumption to make in North Korean politics. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-croaked-his-uncle/676197.md?page=2)