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January 2, 2012

New Kim, Same North Korea

John Hemmings, The Diplomat

AP Photo

Events surrounding the death of Kim Jong-il have revealed a country in transition, and an elite apparently shifting seamlessly from one ruler to another. Yet the funeral list, the promotion of Kim's youngest son as ‘Great Successor’ and ‘Supreme Commander,’ and the political movements around Kim’s sisterKim Kyung-hee and her husband, Chang Sung-taek have underscored the shifting balance of power between the Kims and the National Defence Commission, the Korean People’s Army (KPA), and the Korean Worker’s Party (KWP).

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TAGGED: North Korea, Kim Jong-un

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