http://kimjongilnolongerlookingatthings.tumblr.com/

Wouldn't you appear to have the link to "Dominique Strauss-Kann looking at things" ?

He had many health problems and may also have had cancer. But in the absence of any other credible reports, you are at least as right as anybody else: a heart attack got him.

I suspect that Kim Jong-Il was largely a figurehead, and that his son may be entirely a figurehead. His son certainly has no visible competence in anything. If there's actually a civilian in charge, it may be Chang Sung-Taek, who is Kim Jong-Il's brother-in-law and de facto leader during KJI's many and long illnesses.

+1
Awesome - thanks

Global politics just got a little bit less interesting. I predict Jong Um to follow in daddys footsteps for a while, but that he will eventually open doors to South Korea and the west.

His korea is over.

Since I've studied North Korea in detail, I've always been worried exactly what would happen when Kim Song Il died. When his father, Kim Il Sung died, the entire country mourned as if a god had died. Kim Jong Il embraced the cult of personality his father created and let the North Korean people believe that the world revolved around him. The people are so brain washed into believing the lie that I doubt any revolution will instantly spring up. But there are some possibilities:

1:) Nothing happens. Kim Jong Un is the leader, retains the same power his father and grandfather had, says fuck you to the rest of the world and continues driving his country into decay

2:) Rise of a military junta based on the older Generals who served with the past leaders. Kim Jong Un would either be a puppet leader (if he isn't already) or ousted completely.

3:) No....wait...

4:) The North finally realizes they have to change and opens up to the rest of the world. They really have to at some point, support from China is starting to wane and they don't have the resources to keep their population alive for much longer.

South Korea has good reason to be on red alert, nobody knows what to expect now that the "glorious leader" has died. I hope a new conflict doesn't break out, but the DPRK is so unpredictable it's hard to say for certain.

They better hide Kim Jong Il's body. All those people that the communists are starving to death might be cannibals by now.