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| China-Japan-Koreas | |
| Kimmy's bro-in-law sacked | |
| 2004-04-14 | |
| The brother-in-law of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il no longer plays a key role in the communist regime's top ranks, a senior government official and North Korea experts in Seoul said yesterday. Jang Song-thaek, 58, whose most recent post was the first vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party, was regarded as the second most powerful figure in North Korea's ruling party. The committee groups North Korea's power elite, and Mr. Jang was a policymaker on economic and personnel affairs at the highest level of government. Accompanying Mr. Kim to most major events, including the farewell dinner for the June 2000 inter-Korean summit, Mr. Jang has been mentioned as a possible heir to Mr. Kim. Mr. Jang visited Seoul in October 2002 as a member of Pyeongyang's economic survey team. The Tokyo Shimbun reported yesterday that Mr. Jang was removed from the post after losing a power struggle with Pak Pong-ju, the North's prime minister. After repeatedly objecting to Mr. Pak's initiative to adopt more capitalist experiments in the famine-stricken communist country's economy, Mr. Jang was sent to the party's school to study economics, the report said. A senior South Korean government official on North Korean affairs confirmed yesterday that Mr. Jang is no longer serving the party's central committee, but did not elaborate on the reason for his departure. South Korean experts speculated the shift may have occurred for health reasons.
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| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #2 It sounds like Kim is getting a little skittish about having any competition skulking around the palace. Given how badly his actions have destabilized the entire region, he ought to be. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-04-14 9:10:27 PM |
| #1 Mr. Jang was sent to the party's school to study economics I think I'd prefer death. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-04-14 1:00:03 AM |