Although most American news stories of today have focused on the imploding / bankrupt American banks, more than a few stories have been written about the question of Kim Jong-Il’s health. The ‘Dear Leader’ of communist North Korea has mysteriously been missing for some time now, failing to attend a 60th anniversary party of North Korea (an especially auspicious occasion).

So what gives? Multiple sources amongst the previous stories have indicated a stroke, but that he would be recovering; more than likely we’ll be seeing him - and stories of his legendary health, of course - in the very near future. North Korea may well have quite a few starving stories, but I’m sure Kim Jong-Il has some of the best doctors available in the world.

What concerns me is that South Korea seems to have no plans for what could happen after his eventual death. This Korea Times article seems to imply that there is no specific plan (whether security-related or otherwise); while it’s a little scary to imagine millions of North Koreans pouring across the DMZ (demilitarized zone) between North Korea and South Korea, I highly doubt there would be an onslaught of people. While a sudden death would raise the risk of chaos amidst an already starving and broken country, I suspect North Korea’s communist leaders are too smart for that. From dailynk.com:

“Kim Jong Il occupied the position of the Organizing Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party, in which he took the authority to implement personnel management decisions on the entire political elite. Therefore, he was able to exercise his authority, with as much influence as Kim Il Sung [the previous ruler], although he had not taken office as the top Secretary of the Party.

Furthermore, Kim Il Sung had transferred most of his authority to Kim Jong Il and had built supporting foundations and the leadership system for his son by the time he died. Therefore, Kim Jong Il could reign in North Korea even though he was not the secretary of the Party for three years after Kim Il Sung dying.”

The Wikipedia article about “Politics in North Korea” indicate that it’s a complex system, with as many rules and posts as there are ways of wresting control from whomever currently has it. I suspect Kim Jong-Chul (a son born by one of Kim Jong Il’s ‘companions’) would be next to either retain control either given to him by his father, or various political forces would align and enable him to take it.

Whomever retains / takes control of North Korea, I don’t expect much to change in the country - or in South Korea’s relationship with North Korea. It’ll take a lot more than a leader of a communist country getting sick / dying for there to be real change - anybody remember Fidel Castro?