Edited for relevance and length
Another axis of evil dictator stays out of public places
SEOUL — Where is North Korea's "Dear Leader"? For nearly seven weeks, the government-run media of the communist state has not mentioned the whereabouts of Kim Jong-il.
His last reported appearance was Feb. 12, when he celebrated his 61st birthday party at the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang. But there has been nothing since on North Korea's airwaves or in its newspapers, which dutifully chronicle the "brilliant revolutionary feats" of the dictator. Mr. Kim was absent last week from the biannual convention of the Supreme People's Assembly, a meeting he normally attends. South Korean officials don't believe he is ill or that a power struggle is under way. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a spokesman for the Unification Ministry said Mr. Kim could well be channel-surfing on his television, watching the war in Iraq.
Mr. Kim has good reason to keep a close eye on the Gulf. The North says it fears it may be invaded once U.S. forces are done fighting in Iraq. Washington says it has no such intention, despite tension over North Korea's reported nuclear-weapons programs. One South Korean newspaper, Dong-A Ilbo, said this was the longest Mr. Kim has not appeared in state media in years. He kept a low profile for several years after the 1994 death of his father and predecessor, Kim Il-sung, prompting speculation that his hold on power was shaky. The spokesman said they were most likely bunkered down taking notes on U.S. military tactics in Iraq while watching U.S., British and Middle East news networks. "He is watching very carefully the developments in Iraq. That is what we know," he said. "They will be doing a case study of the war." |