# Kim Jong Un "In Grave Condition" **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 21, 2020, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250 "2020-04-21T03:52:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/1 "2020-04-21T03:52:50Z")
> [@The Trump Administration: A Clusterfuck in the Making](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42631): > > US intelligence now monitoring reports that Kim Jong Un is in grave condition. The article says after surgery, but my gut feeling is assassination attempt. I bet this is related in any case… > > [https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/politics/kim-jong-un-north-korea/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/politics/kim-jong-un-north-korea/index.html) This was posted in the Pit in the Trump Clusterfuck thread, but my response there is hijack, so I thought I’d move it here: So if he dies, who takes over? Is there another Kim warmed up in the bullpen? The younger sister doesn’t seem ready for prime time. Would this be the end of the Kim Dynasty in North Korea? Will the generals get behind just one of their own or does North Korea\* descend into civil war? \*Edit from original is for **Robot Arm**. Yes, technically, Korea is already in an arrested state of civil war. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/2 "2020-04-21T04:33:43Z")
[Seoul sees no suspicious activity in North amid Kim concerns](https://apnews.com/f477033c5883c24d3583ad1fe8824e52) > [@](#): > > The presidential Blue House says it had no information about the rumors on Kim’s health. Speculation often surfaces about North Korea’s leadership based on attendance at important state events. Kim, who is in his mid-30s, missed the celebration of his late grandfather and state founder Kim Il Sung on April 15, the country’s most important holiday. > > Kim has not made a public appearance since presiding over a political bureau meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party on April 11, discussing preventive measures against the coronavirus and electing his sister as an alternate member of the bureau. > > “We have no information to confirm regarding rumors about Chairman Kim Jong Un’s health issue that have been reported by some media outlets. Also, no unusual developments have been detected inside North Korea,” Blue House spokesman Kang Min-seok said in the statement. > > A political upheaval in North Korea would be unlikely even if Kim became sidelined by health problems, according to analyst Cheong Seong-Chang at South Korea’s private Sejong Institute. > > Cheong said Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, is already exercising significant influence within the government and that most members of Pyongyang’s leadership share an interest with the Kim family in maintaining the North’s system. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/3 "2020-04-21T11:14:23Z")
if he dies they will just pull a weekend at Bernies and stuff him and let him stay around for a while longer. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/4 "2020-04-21T12:26:10Z")
If he dies, I think Don the Con will put on a show of wailing and gnashing of teeth worthy of a North Korean newscaster. So it looks like they might get their first female leader. I’m not terribly up on the size of the family, but are they in danger of running out of Kims? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/5 "2020-04-21T13:52:10Z")
Supposedly his sister, who is next in line, is just as bad. To Un’s ‘credit’ he seems to have shaken up and purged a lot of higher ups which probably lead to fear and subservience among those people. If his sister isn’t as good as politics it could lead to more of an uprising within the higher ranks. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/6 "2020-04-21T14:01:42Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > If he dies, I think Don the Con will put on a show of wailing and gnashing of teeth worthy of a North Korean newscaster. > > So it looks like they might get their first female leader. I’m not terribly up on the size of the family, **but are they in danger of running out of Kims**? It’s possible. :flees: ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/7 "2020-04-21T14:17:09Z")
This is the best news I’ve heard in weeks. Of course who knows what would come next. Hard to imagine that it would be worse. But… The army is nearly as starving as the rest of the population. So that would be a weird fight. I suspect a puppet ‘Kim’, perhaps his sister. While the NK media convinces the ‘country’ that Kim is on his mountain top overlooking and taking care of them all. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/8 "2020-04-21T14:19:21Z")
According to this [Bloomberg article](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-21/if-not-kim-jong-un-who-meet-the-heirs-to-north-korea-s-throne), apart from his sister, the known possibilities are: - He’s believed to have gotten married in 2009 and had 3 children, but none of this is officially recognized - His only other sibling is a brother who hasn’t been involved in politics at all - A nephew, but that family has fallen out of favor (his father is in exile) ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/9 "2020-04-21T14:32:41Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Supposedly his sister, who is next in line, is just as bad. > > To Un’s ‘credit’ he seems to have shaken up and purged a lot of higher ups which probably lead to fear and subservience among those people. If his sister isn’t as good as politics it could lead to more of an uprising within the higher ranks. I don’t know much about North Korea, but I would suspect that in a patriarchal society like that, having a woman in charge would put her in more precarious a position than a man. She would more prone to having factions whispering about having her deposed at the slightest sign of any incompetent or weak leadership. Which, in turn, could make her hyper-sensitive and prone to cracking down in all the more bloody fashion. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/10 "2020-04-21T14:34:26Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > According to this [Bloomberg article](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-21/if-not-kim-jong-un-who-meet-the-heirs-to-north-korea-s-throne), apart from his sister, the known possibilities are: > > - He’s believed to have gotten married in 2009 and had 3 children, but none of this is officially recognized > - His only other sibling is a brother who hasn’t been involved in politics at all > - A nephew, but that family has fallen out of favor (his father is in exile) Any of Kim Jong Un’s children couldn’t be older than their teens at most, hardly an age for national leadership. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/11 "2020-04-21T14:45:29Z")
I wasn’t aware that he had any young’Uns. Not officially recognized? What’s up with that? One would think that the birth of one of his children would be greeted with jewels blossoming on trees and birds flying in formation to create hearts. No announcements on children? Why not? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/12 "2020-04-21T14:49:35Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Any of Kim Jong Un’s children couldn’t be older than their teens at most, hardly an age for national leadership. In the old days some Kings started their reign at a very young age but they had a regent and others who really ran the show until the king was around 18. For example Louis XIV of France served from age of 5 until he died at 76. Queen Liz has reigned for 68 years so she might beat that record. Louis XV also took the throne at age 5 ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/13 "2020-04-21T15:13:17Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I wasn’t aware that he had any young’Uns. Not officially recognized? What’s up with that? One would think that the birth of one of his children would be greeted with jewels blossoming on trees and birds flying in formation to create hearts. No announcements on children? Why not? Fat fuck is using them as his organ donors and eating what’s left. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/14 "2020-04-21T15:19:14Z")
Actually [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ri_Sol-ju) says Ri Sol-ju has been officially recognized as “respected first lady” since 2018. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/15 "2020-04-21T15:40:54Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Which, in turn, could make her hyper-sensitive and prone to cracking down in all the more bloody fashion. There are two techniques in the family playbook for dealing with internal threats to power. One is cracking down and purging internally. That is more direct. It has the problem that you need to be sufficiently strong to do it. Otherwise it may just instigate the internal threat into action. The other is showing strength against external enemies. Sometimes that is just shows of strength without direct attacks. Sometimes that involves dead South Koreans. It may be easier for a North Korean leader to implement since it focuses the attention of the internal threats on the international threat to all of them. The dangers of that level of brinksmanship should be obvious. Kim Jong Un was in charge of one of the most serious incidents since the armistice. That is the artillery strikes on the island of Y[eonpyeong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardment_of_Yeonpyeong). That was widely seen as an attempt to establish him with the military in preparation for his transition to power. A sister without the benefit of a planned early transition prep and lots of internal grumbling may be extra motivated to strike South Korea early and often. Hopefully we can avoid that. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/16 "2020-04-25T17:59:59Z")
Rumors keep escalating that he has either died, is brain dead, or something very similar. Could it be actually true? I both hope so and hope that things don’t get worse. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/17 "2020-04-25T18:21:25Z")
A Chinese medical team has been sent to North Korea, reminiscent of the time when Kim Jong Il suffered a stroke back in 2008. Whether he’s dead or not, it’s apparently pretty damn serious. ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/18 "2020-04-25T18:23:58Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Rumors keep escalating that he has either died, is brain dead, or something very similar. > > Could it be actually true? > > I both hope so and hope that things don’t get worse. I wouldn’t believe rumors coming out of North Korea. Rumors coming out of China and pre-Invasion Iraq were more believable (both societies are/were more “open”) and were frequently untrue. ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/19 "2020-04-25T18:30:39Z")
NM ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/20 "2020-04-25T20:27:17Z")
[Unconfirmed reports that Kim Jong Un is dead.](https://nypost.com/2020/04/25/north-korean-dictator-kim-jong-un-rumored-to-be-dead/) > [@](#): > > Kim Jong Un is rumored to be dead, according to a Hong Kong broadcast network, while a Japanese magazine is reporting that North Korea’s rocket man is in a “vegetative state” after he underwent heart surgery earlier this month. > > A vice director of HKSTV Hong Kong Satellite Television, a Beijing-backed broadcast network in Hong Kong, claimed that Kim was dead, citing a “very solid source.” Her post on the Chinese messaging app Weibo has been shared widely on social media, according to a report in the International Business Times. > > Other unconfirmed reports, attributed to senior party sources in Beijing, said an operation to insert a stent went wrong because the surgeon’s hands were shaking so badly. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250.md?page=2)