On my program last night, writer Christian Caryl picks up on something he blogged about a few days ago:
As of today, it can be assumed that the most powerful man in North Korea is Kim [Jong Un]’s uncle, Chang Song Taek, widely regarded as the designated regent. Chang, who is 65 (health status unknown), has going for him both strong family ties (he is married to Kim Jong Il’s sister) and decades of work experience in the higher reaches of the regime. And this raises a number of intriguing questions. Will Kim the Younger be content to have his uncle telling him what to do? Will Regent Chang seize the opportunity to cement his own claim to power? Will the generals and party chiefs manage to coalesce around the inevitable realization that they will hang separately if they don’t hang together?
We look at Uncle Chang and how North Korean society has changed dramatically since Kim Jong Il took over here: