Kim Jong Il

Farewell, earthlings
Dec 19th 2011, 4:44 by D.T. | SEOUL
NORTH KOREAN state me !a has "#st a$$%#$ce the eath %& 'ea e( K!m )%$* +'. Acc%( !$* t% the (e,%(t -%$ th!s s!te, .he$ !t/s $%t %0e(.he'me by t(a&&!c1, he ,asse a.ay %$ Sat#( ay 12th Decembe(, at 3.40am, .h!'e t(a0e''!$* %$ a t(a!$ t% 0!s!t a$ a(ea %#ts! e %& 5y%$*ya$*. The report, delivered by a tearful, black-clad announcer, claimed that he died due to "an advanced acute myocardial infarction, complicated by serious heart shock," which was caused by "a great mental and physical strain caused by his uninterrupted field guidance tour for the building of a thriving nation." It is of course no secret that he had been unwell for several years, having suffered a stroke in 200 , and often appearing frail in public appearances. !im"s declining health had prompted the regime to accelerate progress towards the planned succession of his third son, !im #ong $n. The report itself e%horted viewers to &loyally follow' the (wiss-educated, would-be thirdgeneration leader, whom his father chose ahead of two elder sons, apparently due a ruthless streak that runs beneath his pudgy features. (till in his late twenties, and with very little e%perience of leadership, the younger !im may yet face trouble when it comes to grasping the reins of power. !im #ong Il himself had already been the heir-apparent to his father, the founder of the )orth !orean state, !im Il (ung, for almost two decades before he was declared the country"s &*ear +eader' and thrust upon the throne of the *emocratic ,eople"s -epublic in ./01. !im #ong $n will have no such lu%ury. 2ut that does not mean that crisis is imminent. !im 3an-4ong, who visited )orth !orea with (outh !orea"s ,resident !im *ae-4ung at a momentous summit in 2000, states we should &not e%pect !im #ong Il"s death to be followed by big political change', owing to 5hina"s apparent support for the regime as well as to the internal efforts to speed up the succession. (outh !orea is however on a state of high alert. The !6(,I inde% dived 78 at noon, following the announcement. In the coming days, all eyes will be on ,yongyang, and the attempts of one young man to lay his claim to the world"s only communist monarchy. 9,icture credit: ;<,=