# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/41 "2020-04-27T14:14:44Z")
Unless they don’t know who’s in charge yet. If someone takes the initiative and declares it prematurely they’ll certainly pay if they’re wrong. ---
**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 27, 2020, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/42 "2020-04-27T14:31:24Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > N. Korea said he wrote a letter which proves he is OK. If Kim wants to prove his survival, he should either appear in person or release some videotape in which he makes references to current events that took place after his surgery (the approach that al-Baghdadi, leader of ISIS, used back in the day to prove his survival before he got bumped off for good.) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/43 "2020-04-27T15:45:32Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > If Kim wants to prove his survival, he should either appear in person or release some videotape in which he makes references to current events that took place after his surgery (the approach that al-Baghdadi, leader of ISIS, used back in the day to prove his survival before he got bumped off for good.) Is there some reason why he would want or need to prove he is alive? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/44 "2020-04-27T15:48:25Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > They wouldn’t hide Kim from public just because he’s dead Weekend at Kim’s! ---
**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:** [April 27, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/45 "2020-04-27T15:53:10Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Is there some reason why he would want or need to prove he is alive? If he doesn’t reveal he’s still alive, other figures in the regime will begin making moves to place a new person in charge. And once those plans are put into motion, the people involved might not wish to reverse them if Kim reveals he’s still alive. They might decide to go ahead with the plans and just add killing Kim as a new step in the plan. ---
**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 27, 2020, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/46 "2020-04-27T16:04:26Z")
So you think North Koreans live their lives and make their plans according to the news from the US? How does that work? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/47 "2020-04-27T16:17:00Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Unless they don’t know who’s in charge yet. If someone takes the initiative and declares it prematurely they’ll certainly pay if they’re wrong. Which raises the possibility that this may be a trick to flush out whoever is not All In With Kim and detect leaks based on what does leak. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/48 "2020-04-27T17:01:07Z")
I tend to think he’s not in good shape, but one potential explanation for his absence, even if he’s not sick, is isolation at his Wonsan compound due to COVID-19 fears. If the government is trying to convince people the virus isn’t in NK and everything is safe, they’d need to keep it secret that he’s in isolation. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/49 "2020-04-27T17:51:14Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > 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. And look at her picture. I am more scared of her than him. ---
**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 27, 2020, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/50 "2020-04-27T17:51:34Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > I tend to think he’s not in good shape, but one potential explanation for his absence, even if he’s not sick, is isolation at his Wonsan compound due to COVID-19 fears. If the government is trying to convince people the virus isn’t in NK and everything is safe, they’d need to keep it secret that he’s in isolation. Speaking of Wonsan, satellite data appears to show something’s going on there - his train has been there since last week: [https://www.38north.org/2020/04/wonsancompound042520/](https://www.38north.org/2020/04/wonsancompound042520/) > [@](#): > > A train probably belonging to Kim Jong Un has been parked at the Leadership Railway Station servicing his Wonsan compound since at least April 21, according to commercial satellite imagery. The train’s presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health, but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country’s eastern coast. ---
**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 27, 2020, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/51 "2020-04-27T18:05:20Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > And look at her picture. I am more scared of her than him. It comes down to how politically deft she is in terms of rewarding loyalists and punishing enemies. If Kim dies now or in the near future, anyone who takes over is going to have monumental challenges. I agree that Kim Yo Jong might be tested being a female in a patriarchal society, but they could be in for a nasty surprise if they do. But supposing they do finish off the Kims’ grip on power, and let’s say that the military generals rule. Would they agree to share power? Would they agree on that power structure? I’m just thinking of Egypt as an example, where it’s clear that the military respects the chain of command and the general is the alpha and omega of that chain. I’m honestly not sure what the hierarchy looks like if the Kims are no longer the symbol of power in North Korea. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/52 "2020-04-27T18:59:37Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > If Kim dies now or in the near future, anyone who takes over is going to have monumental challenges. Most funeral homes will send people over to collect the body. Just roll him onto a sheet and have ten people lift it from each side. ---
**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 27, 2020, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/53 "2020-04-27T19:09:20Z")
For his father’s death: According to Daily NK, anyone who did not participate in the organised mourning sessions or did not seem genuine enough in their sorrow has been sentenced to at least six months in a labour camp. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/54 "2020-04-27T22:19:33Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Speaking of Wonsan, satellite data appears to show something’s going on there - his train has been there since last week: > > [Train Spotted at Kim Jong Un’s Wonsan Compound - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea](https://www.38north.org/2020/04/wonsancompound042520/) Isn’t the simplest explanation expoanation that coronavirus is rampant in North Korea? The NK gov’t can’t publicly admit that their Glorious Leader has allowed a foreign disease into the country, so everything is continuing just as normal in the news media «Nothing to see here, move along, all is well under the Glorious Kim’s great leadership». But behind the scenes, Kim has hopped on his train and is self-isolating away from the areas where the disease is rampant, and will move on again if it pops up anywhere near him. That would also explain the rumours of a Chinese medical delegation - not to treat Kim, but to give advice about how the coronavirus spreads and possible containment measures. ---
**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 27, 2020, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/55 "2020-04-27T23:29:54Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Isn’t the simplest explanation expoanation that coronavirus is rampant in North Korea? The NK gov’t can’t publicly admit that their Glorious Leader has allowed a foreign disease into the country, so everything is continuing just as normal in the news media «Nothing to see here, move along, all is well under the Glorious Kim’s great leadership». I can’t imagine any place less likely than NK to get the virus. Sealed borders, few visitors. If by some chance it ever took hold, they could easily lock down localities as needed. If he’s dead, we’ll know when the new leader emerges. I don’t think they dare risk revealing a death at the top until the new Kim is unveiled. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/56 "2020-04-27T23:38:52Z")
Containment measures require an admission by officials that the virus is here. Do you want to be the local medical officer to send the news up the chain of command that coronavirus is in your region and you can’t contain it? ---
**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 27, 2020, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/57 "2020-04-27T23:55:15Z")
Trump claims he has a good idea of his status but won’t talk about it. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/58 "2020-04-28T00:08:25Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I can’t imagine any place less likely than NK to get the virus. Sealed borders, few visitors. If by some chance it ever took hold, they could easily lock down localities as needed. The border with South Korea is difficult to cross, but there is quite a bit of coming and going over the border with China. Chinese people, in particular, can easily come into North Korea. So there’s absolutely zero reason to think that the country is free of the virus. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/59 "2020-04-28T00:11:14Z")
Containment measures require an admission by officials that the virus is here. Do you want to be the local medical officer to send the news up the chain of command that coronavirus is in your region and you can’t contain it? ---
**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 28, 2020, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250/60 "2020-04-28T00:25:45Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Trump claims he has a good idea of his status **but won’t talk about it.** That’s _hilarious._ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-un-in-grave-condition/852250.md?page=4)