Kim Jong Il Has Died

[NickyJ]

Source: Bloomberg

Kim Jong Il, the second-generation North Korean dictator who defied global condemnation to build nuclear weapons while his people starved, has died, Yonhap News reported. He was 70.

The news came in a radio broadcast at noon local time, Yonhap reported, citing North Korea’s official media. Kim probably had a stroke in August 2008 and may have also contracted pancreatic cancer, according to South Korean news reports.

I've heard from the radio that there are worries about military action on the part of North Korea with the new ruler coming in.

 

[zjl56]

There will probably will be scant details.. Though for all the craziness of North Korea I feel that the elites are probably too careful/ too used to their power to do something stupid like start a war.

 

[NickyJ]

New link to the OP which has more details.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

Rest in Peace.

 

[Pangur Bán]

A lot of deaths haver occurred over the past few days, but this takes this biscuit for gravity.

We should all pay lots of attention.

 

[NickyJ]

BBC reports that he died Saturday.

 

[Verarde]

I was just about to post this thread...

Supposedly the South Korean government has "shifted to an emergency footing" in preparation for anything.

Now their military has declared an emergency alert.

 

[TheLastOne36]

Commence Homefront timeline

 

[Verarde]

There will probably will be scant details.. Though for all the craziness of North Korea I feel that the elites are probably too careful/ too used to their power to do something stupid like start a war.

Well, like I said, South Korea has gone on high alert because of this, but if he did die Saturday, and nothing has happened as of yet, then I agree here.

A lot of deaths haver occurred over the past few days, but this takes this biscuit for gravity.

We should all pay lots of attention.

I agree.

 

[Narz]

I heard he was Il but it still feels like he's jong too soon. Hopefully it's just a hoax & he'll reappear saying "Just kidding, I kim back! ".

 

[amadeus]

Good.

I hope the regime collapses, but that's pipe dream talk.

 

[Maniacal]

While I knew he was getting on in age I wasn't aware he had health problems and he has been such an, shall we say, iconic dictator for so long I am actually surprised by this. However, now we finally get to find out what happens when he dies! It will be interesting to see how Kim Jong-un (who is the named successor) handles the leadership of North Korea, or if he will just be a puppet.

EDIT: @Narz:

Spoiler :

 

[NickyJ]

I was just about to post this thread...

I knew I had to post fast before someone could beat me to it.

I heard he was Il but it still feels like he's jong too soon. Hopefully it's just a hoax & he'll reappear saying "Just kidding, I kim back! ".

If I hadn't seen the first part, I wouldn't have known that you were kidding.

You are kidding, right? RIGHT?!

 

[JollyRoger]

Yet another evildoer dead on President Obama's watch.

As with Steve Jobs, rest in peace.

 

[bombshoo]

Well, this should be interesting. Kim Jong Un is supposed to take the helm, but he was not exactly groomed to be the leader until very recently. I wouldn't be totally surprised to see him reduced to a figurehead. If he does emerge as the uncontested leader, it will be interesting to see how he rules. While he most certainly has been drinking more than enough of the North Korean Kool-Aid, he has at least spent some significant time in the west (in Switzerland).

 

[GenMarshall]

Ding dong the little commie Napoleon is dead.

I heard he was Il but it still feels like he's jong too soon. Hopefully it's just a hoax & he'll reappear saying "Just kidding, I kim back! ".

Or a stuffed Kim pops in with Chuck Testa saying "Nope, it's just Chuck Testa".

 

[Pangur Bán]

So who do we reckon wanted it kept quiet for two days? And what were they up to?

 

[Verarde]

So who do we reckon wanted it kept quiet for two days? And what were they up to?

Trying to decide how best to present the news to our obviously heartbroken world.

 

[NickyJ]

our obviously heartbroken world.

Link to video.

I shed tears while playing it. I really did.

2011 has been an exciting year for dictators: October - Muammar Gaddafi. December - Kim Jong Il. Also, not a dictator but in May, Osama bin Laden died too.

 

[_random_]

Dibs on his shades.

Good.

I hope the regime collapses, but that's pipe dream talk.

It's not gonna be immediate, but I'm willing to take bets that little Kimmy's gonna be the last leader of that hellhole.