It is a government, no matter how you look at it - albeit a despotic one. As for the dynasty, it is just that. I doubt anyone outside the Kim circle (elites) willingly decided (or maybe they all did under threat) - but it is generally understood that power was taken by force, and maintained through brutality and a cult of personality. The DPRK is the poster of this - all former Soviet style states including Russia had that (see Stalin) - though again what sets the DPRK apart is it's continuation of said dynasty and rule by the Kim family - whereas other states after their despot died, their system at least diverged obviously. Of course what complicates matters with Korea is the war itself - it has never officially ended, so that makes things that more complicated.

Hell obviously some regimes prove just like the DPRK to be way out there to even other say dictatorships - Cambodia comes to mind - when another Communist regime resorts to invasion to topple THAT kind of system of 'government.' (See invasion of Cambodia by Vietnam).

Though I am going into a tangent - it is much more complicated in northeast Asia - the PRC isn't going to invade and topple the Kim regime anytime soon - there are too many unknown variables.

I'm sorry, no, there is no justification for regognising that as a government.
What I'd like to see is whomever is allowing NK to exist be killed. Somebody is making money from it or getting some sadistic fun. There is no excuse for letting people suffer like that under such excreta as the Ils.
Whoever is protecting and paying those despotic scum needs to be killed twenty years ago. They're not humann they're just dirt.

Well in a perfect world, I would also not recognise any theocratic countries either such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - after all they aren't exactly known for the best human rights records either - which by the way this is kind of ironic: Secular Talk: Saudi Arabia To Head UN 'Human Rights' Panel

At the most basic level if they are recognised as a country, then clearly they are recognised as a government - whether or not they are legitimate is different. Also as far as the DPRK being allowed to 'exist' - again there is a reason why the southern backed government did not try to retake the entire peninsula - it would have been very drawn out because of the Chinese and Russians - and at the time of the start of the Korean War - the USSR had already acquired nuclear capability so....

Kind of hard to determine how the guy died. Simple air could have been used. His brother has executed quite a few close to him.

I've been to South Korea many times. It just shocks me that the two Korea's are so far apart and getting farther each day. The people are living in quit modern standards in the South while their cousins in the North are eating the leaves off of trees to survive.

Listen to the Voice of North Korea sometime if you really want to have a laugh.

Well I don't know how simple 'air' can just kill someone like that, then again I'm not an assassin.

[quote=jefro;5671286]I've been to South Korea many times. It just shocks me that the two Korea's are so far apart and getting farther each day. The people are living in quit modern standards in the South while their cousins in the North are eating the leaves off of trees to survive.

And the Kim dynasty dines on fancy food, previous Kim spent huge sums of money on cognac apparently - and now this Kim apparently has a thing for cheese. That is the ultimate insult right there - the fact that he is just a big fat ass - while the population are walking skeletons!

I obviously do not speak Korean, but yea I even seen youtube videos on their media - their 'news' anchors are so dramatic and bombastic - it would be more comical except for the fact that they are the mouthpiece of one of the last few places on this blue ball that is a cult of personality leadership.

This being my point. The USSR and Chinese governments are just as complicit in the human rights violations of the criminal scum currently holding the people of the North Korean peninsular at gun and bayonet point. Without the recognition of governments then Il clan would have been eviscerated long ago and replaced wit ha government.

Of course they would be complicit, they are the ones who installed/backed that type of 'government' - I do not recall ever seeing the USSR or the PRC with any positive human rights record - but again your analysis is a bit incomplete - remember that during and up to the end of the second World War, all of Korea was an illegal colony of Japan - as was China (though not a 'colony') but still occupied by Japan - so you had the allies at that time USSR and USA - at the end of the war all sides agreed to split the peninsula in half until the commies in the north backed by both USSR/PRC (pawns basically) were encouraged to try to retake all of Korea, and well we all know the rest.

In a sense your argument is true however that the ROK does not recognise the North as much as the North does not recognise the South - but in the rest of the international community they are both separate countries and governments - the only difference now, is that the PRC is the only one who still fully backs the North. I am sure the PRC might like to not have to back the North - but you still have to realise that the PRC is in a rather complicated situation. Letting the regime collapse will have far worse unforeseen consequences (not talking about just a refugee crisis)

Korea was just another victim of post WWII US/USSR occupation/interference. Both sides supported leaders they installed in the south and north respectively. The US backed leader Rhee was also no saint and persecuted opponents - look up the 'April Revolution'. He eventually 'retired' to Hawaii (in exile).

The North's economy and standard of living was actually much better than the south's for the first 20 years or so after the establishment of DPRK. It started going very bad after the break up of the USSR and went completely rotten once Jong-Il took office. You now have what is really a fascist dynasty running the country.

Unfortunately there are also many more equally rotten, often US backed, regimes around the world, but these don't make the news...

A very correct analysis.

The intrigue continues:

In absolute monarchies it has always been common to have succession fights among the heirs to a deceased monarch. Sometimes the succession fight becomes a civil war. To an absolute monarch murdering a rival for the throne is often self preservation. So far Kim Jong Un has murdered an uncle and a half brother that we know of. In both cases Kim Jong Un's motive appears to be to eliminate a potential claimant to the throne who opposition politicians could coalesce around.

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Steve Stites

Neither was threat for unseating the military puppet dictator from what I could read online. If you have any links that point to concrete facts about ,

But then again. Being a closed country. I doubt any credible facts could be posted here. No one really knows the inner workings of North Korean rule.

Pretty much just a knee jerk reaction from like a 2 year old toddler emotional mind set. <terrible 2's>
Just my point of view from what I know, however.

You can see where I got my point of view from here.

My understanding that a needle was used. If you (don't try this at home) inject air into someone at the right place they will usually die. However it is unlikey that the perps had time to do that. I'd suspect a common product that could easily be bought locally.

I don't know if I should be scared that you know that .

Pretty effective prank if you ask me.