Exclusive: Kim to reform North Korean economy

[Audio]

(Reuters) - Impoverished North Korea is gearing up to experiment with agricultural and economic reforms after young leader Kim Jong-un and his powerful uncle purged the country's top general for opposing change, a source with ties to both Pyongyang and Beijing said.

Exclusive: Kim to reform North Korean economy after purge - source | Reuters

He does have a certain benevolent dictator look going for him, no?

Would be interesting to see which way he will turn, China or S. Korea. Probably China, though if anyone from the region can comment it would be more insightful the my speculations.

 

[ahfatzia]

By removing the hardliner powerful general, Ri Yong-ho who was an ardent opponent to economic reforms during Kim Il-Jong's rule, from the post is a clear indication the young Kim Jong-Un and his backers is heading toward economic reforms. Let's hope they'll stay on course and become prosperous, the people need and deserve it.

 

[Korean]

He does have a certain benevolent dictator look going for him, no?

The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea - N.Korean Army Chief 'Refused to Go Quietly'

N.Korean Army Chief 'Refused to Go Quietly'
Choe Ryong-hae (left) and Ri Yong-ho

A gunbattle broke out when the North Korean regime removed army chief Ri Yong-ho from office, leaving 20 to 30 soldiers dead, according to unconfirmed intelligence reports. Some intelligence analysts believe Ri, who has not been seen since his abrupt sacking earlier this week, was injured or killed in the confrontation.

According to government officials here, the gunbattle erupted when Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae, the director of the People's Army General Political Bureau, tried to detain Ri in the process of carrying out leader Kim Jong-un's order to sack him. Guards protecting Ri, who is a vice marshal, apparently opened fire. "We cannot rule out the possibility that Ri was injured or even killed in the firefight," said one source.

 

[Audio]

^^ lol at firefight...

...glorious benevolent dictator removed the person opposing the reforms. Kim strong!

 

[Korean]

Kim's ex-sushi chef 'invited back to N. Korea' - Yahoo!7

KIM'S EX-SUSHI CHEF 'INVITED BACK TO N. KOREA'
July 21, 2012, 1:26 am

TOKYO (AFP) - A Japanese sushi chef who served the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il and his family for 13 years, writing books about their secretive lives, was seen on his way to revisit the country on Friday.

The author, who goes by the pseudonym of Kenji Fujimoto, told Japanese media at Tokyo's Narita airport that he had been invited to visit North Korea by its new leader Kim Jong-Un, whom he had served when the Korean leader was a boy.

"I was invited by Marshal Kim Jong-Un himself, and there is no reason to say no," he was quoted by Kyodo news agency as saying as he headed to Pyongyang via Beijing.

"I have never bad-mouthed (North Korea), and I don't think it will work against me," Fujimoto said when asked about comments he had made on North Korea.

Fujimoto, who has often talked about risks to his personal safety because of his knowledge of the Kim family, did not elaborate on the purpose of his first trip to the communist nation since his escape back to Japan in 2001.

Mr. Fujimoto Genji, the personal chef of Kim Jong Il who famously revealed that Kim Jong Il never badmouthed the US, ROK, and Japan in private but constantly bad-mouthed China, is back to North Korea. Kim Jong Eun must have issued a personal safety guarantee.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Kim Jong-un is the ultimate Fat Man.

 

[SinoChallenger]

Exclusive: Kim to reform North Korean economy after purge - source | Reuters

He does have a certain benevolent dictator look going for him, no?

Would be interesting to see which way he will turn, China or S. Korea. Probably China, though if anyone from the region can comment it would be more insightful the my speculations.

Economic reform is shorthand for Chinese model. Political reform is shorthand for Western model.

China will help North Korea reform, but first we must remove the puppet regime of the South from the peninsula!

 

[Korean]

Economic reform is shorthand for Chinese model.

Not necessarily. The dude grew up and was educated in Europe, so he doesn't know much about the "Chinese model". What he knows is the "European model" he experienced in person.

 

[SinoChallenger]

Not necessarily. The dude grew up and was educated in Europe, so he doesn't know much about the "Chinese model". What he knows is the "European model" he experienced in person.

LOL Chinese model can keep him in power that's the difference

Now that Marshall Ri is gone...... it's time for China to sell North Korea J-10's, MBT-3000 tanks and WS-2 artillery rockets in exchange for developing NK's natural resources.

 

[Korean]

LOL Chinese model can keep him in power that's the difference

Actually the Chinese model can't. Because China is an oligarchy, and power is not transferred to sons(Mao's sons, Zhang's sons, Hu's sons, Xi doesn't even have a son), only the wealth.

 

[ahfatzia]

Not necessarily. The dude grew up and was educated in Europe, so he doesn't know much about the "Chinese model". What he knows is the "European model" he experienced in person.

That may well be true, however it's very unlikely NK will open to the west, or at least his uncle, aunt and the other generals would not back this move. China is there available with capital , technologies and markets and plus similar polities and friendly/willing partner. There's no better choices and SK is definitely out of the picture.

 

[Korean]

China is there available with capital , technologies and markets and plus similar polities and friendly/willing partner.

North Korean hatred of China runs deep from top to bottom.

SK is definitely out of the picture.

The ROK will be running the show when NK collapses soon anyway.

 

[ahfatzia]

North Korean hatred of China runs deep from top to bottom.
The ROK will be running the show when NK collapses soon anyway.

I guess our opinions are different here. I believe the north hate the south more than anything else in both government and people level. They are taught to hate the south from early age. Their relationship with China is probably neutral as far as the people are concern because I haven't heard of any textbooks of condemning China. On government level, it's more like a beggar and donor kind of relationship: I dislike you because I'm not as rich and strong like you but.....I need your helps.

 

[Götterdämmerung]

Not necessarily. The dude grew up and was educated in Europe, so he doesn't know much about the "Chinese model". What he knows is the "European model" he experienced in person.

As a Korean-American you would hate our European model, because we are socialist and for the right-wing nutjobs like you, we are pretty much commies. We spend huge amounts for welfare, have very high tax, everyone gets healtcare, university is pretty much free, everybody is taken care of by our nanny state from birth till death.

 

[Harry_Thomason]

It was about time to initiate economic reform, hopefully it will be well thought out. Its hard under sanctions, but possible nonetheless, especially with the help of China, etc.