Over the Edge - January 4, 2012

NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG-IL HAS DIED

Kim Jong-Un fo succeed his father as leader of the communist dictatorship

HANNA PETERSEN
NEWS EDITOR

orth Korean Leader Kim
Jong-il has died of a heart
attack at the age of 69. The

small isolated nation has been de-
scribed as one of the last remains of
the Cold War. It would not be a stretch
to call North Korea a totalitarian state
noting its high levels of secrecy, state
controlled media, tightly controlled
boarders, and the ‘cult of personality’
of its leader. However, the nation will
undoubtedly be undergoing a shift in
operations as Kim Jong-il who was
known in North Korea as “Dear Lead-
er” has now succumbed to his heart
disease.

However, Kim Jong-il’s father, Kim
Il-sung, is still considered the coun-
try’s eternal president even in death.
Officially known as Great Leader, Il-
Sung was North Korea’s first leader
and dominates much of the country’s
history. 1 Sung ruled from 1948 until
he died in 1994 leaving his son Kim
Jong-il as successor.

A picture of life in North Korea is
hard to come by considering the strict
state controlled media and the limited
access North Koreans have to outside
news sources, as well as the fact that
foreign journalists are rarely allowed
entry. The non-profit group, Repor-
ters Without Boarders, has ranked
the state to be among the worst in the
world for press freedom. This is prob-
lematic when speculations of famine
and human rights violations seep out
of the country’s tightly controlled
boarders. In 2008, the United Nations
World Food Program was estimating
that 8.7 million people were in need
of food aid. Many of the country’s
food problems are due to natural dis-
asters that cut food productions like
cycles of widespread flooding and
droughts. In 1994 an estimated two
million people had died from a severe
famine. Amnesty International also
accuses North Korea of using torture,
the death penalty, arbitrary deten-

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“Tens of
thousands of
soldiers guard
the border
between
North and
South Korea.”

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tion, and inhumane prison conditions
among its human rights violations.
Some human rights organizations es-
timate there could be up to 200,000
political prisoners held in the country.
Despite the countries widespread
poverty and food crises, Kim Jong-il
had built a powerful army with more
than one million troops. Tens of thou-
sands of soldiers guard the border
between North and South Korea. The
military has garnered the most inter-
national press for the country, as most
people are familiar with the nations
nuclear tests beginning in 2006.
Kim’s death was announced in an
emotional broadcast over state tele-
vision. A period of national mourn-
ing has been declared from December
17th to the 29th. Images from inside
the state show people in the streets
weeping in the streets. One news
source has said millions of North Ko-
reans were “engulfed in indescribable
sadness”. The state news KCNA said

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

people were “cunvulsing with pain
and despair” at their loss but would
unite behind his successor, his son
Kim Jong-un. “All party members,
military men and the public should
faithfully follow the leadership of
comrade Kim Jong-un and protect and
further strengthen the unified front of
the party, military and the public,” the
news agency said. According to the
BBC, little is actually known about
Kim Jong-un other than that he