Quite possible, indeed.
Mr Kim dies. Ms Kim takes over. Trimp sends congratulations. Hilarity ensues. Or nukes.
I read that as «Hillary ensues.». What, in Trump’s White House?
Lock her up!
I was thinking about something like this for the weirdest election scenario thread. Kim Jong-un passes on. His sister takes over. Trump wants to meet her in person and when he does, greets her in the manner he is accustomed to greeting women in. The resulting scuffle between bodyguards does not turn out well for anyone. Pence is informed he is now President but we are at war with North Korea, whose new leader will only call the war off if he apologizes to her in person, by himself. Pence has a heart attack on the spot. Nancy Pelosi becomes President, calls the leader of NK. They are both laughing so hard they call off the war.
South Korea is thinking along the same lines:
North Korea’s absent Kim may be trying to avoid coronavirus: South Korean cabinet minister
Lovely!
Taiwan’s intelligence head says dear leader is sick. No specifics beyond that .
I am a bit skeptical that Taiwan would have more knowledge about this than what South Korea is willing to reveal (given that North Korea is a low intelligence priority for Taiwan but it is of immense importance to South Korean intelligence.) Taiwan could be wrong, or South Korea knows too and is being tight-lipped about Kim being ill.
It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if Un has croaked. However they say his sister would become the dictator and apparently she is just as ruthless as Un.
:dubious:
If there’s any leader on this planet who would have the easiest time imposing social distancing measures, it’s Kim Jong-Un. He never directly interacts with members of the general public, and the country’s (which was already isolated from the rest of the world to begin with) been on lockdown since February. I’m not sure what South Korea’s endgame is behind these explanations for Jong-Un’s absence, but they don’t pass muster at all.
Even with a completely closed border, the virus could spread. One study found coronavirides floating on particles of air pollution. I think this explanation (virus in NK) is possible, but why such a long duration?
Karen Jong Un?
And the border isn’t completely closed. Once the virus crosses it, a spread in NK is just as likely and fast as other places in the world.
North Korea isn’t exactly known for thinly distributing their citizens. Indeed, plump leader likes the adoration of crowds and lavish human displays, the ideal breeding ground for such a phenomena.
In fairness, as president of US of A with its myriad intelligence agencies Trump probably has as much good info on the subject as anyone outside of Kim’s immediate circle. My WAG is: if Kim is dead, Trump probably knows about it.
There is no reason for him to brag about knowing secrets, though. What an asshole.
There are a few international flights in and out of Pyongyang every week, and isn’t there some contact between people at the borders?
N. Korean defector who is a S. Korea lawmaker said he’s 99% sure Kim is pining for the fjords.
Maybe he’s hearing the old jingle in his head “Have you driven a fjord, lately?”
NK does have more tools at its disposal to contain the virus if it entered. Being a police state, they could enforce social distancing with an iron fist or if a village is full of covid, go in and massacre the populace.
She is already talking to your manager…
NY Times:
But this year alone, Mr. Kim disappeared for 21 days between Jan. 26 and Feb. 16, and for 19 days between March 22 and April 10.
And he’s had other periods where he was not seen in public, one of them was 41 days.