Speculation
abounds as to the whereabouts of your favorite child dictator, and mine, North
Korea's Kim Jong Un. Kim has not been seen in public for over a month. On October
8th CNN published an article detailing the various hypotheses regarding Kim's absence.
First, I must congratulate CNN for not falling for the temptation of wild speculation
that comes with this story. The author clearly laid out each theory and
carefully indicated to the reader the line between fact and supposition. The
theories range from the mundane, like gout, to the intriguing, like a potential
coup. I was expecting CNNs print (web) coverage to be as hollow and
sensationalistic as their television reports; I was pleasantly surprised to
discover otherwise. The author gave the mundane theories about the same amount
of words as the more intriguing theories. I am also impressed with the author's
presentation of the background information.
The piece took time to explain that Kim was always more of a symbolic
leader and that many political decisions are made by a council of men loyal to
the late Kim Jong Il. The author then went on to cite a source that explained
how the toppling of Kim Jong Un in a coup would not necessarily be better for
the world than his temporary absence due to injury. The CNN television news
tends to avoid reporting on North Korea through any lens other than the
traditional, two dimensional narrative: Kim Jong Un is bad, so therefore the
removal of Kim in a coup is good.
I
am divided as to my favorite hypothesis for Kim's disappearance. The part of me
inclined to wishful thinking really wants to believe that there was a coup, but
my willingness to believe a given hypothesis automatically makes me suspicious
of said hypothesis. The one piece of evidence that even circumstantially
supports the possibility of a coup is the last minute visit to South Korea paid
by the two top men in Kim's government. The fact that these men discussed the
adoption of a "one country two systems" unification plan with South
Korean diplomats leads many to believe that Kim is losing de facto control of
his government. The more pedestrian explanation for Kim's absence is his
health. He has a family history of diabetes. This predisposition is no doubt exacerbated
by Kim's excessive consumption of Coca Kola, one of his favorite beverages. The
high fat content of Kim's diet supports the hypothesis that gout is behind
Kim's limp and subsequent isolation.
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