A “Beijing-friendly palace coup” may happen in North Korea to drive out the North’s “dear leader” Kim Jong-il, a U.S. weekly magazine reported in its latest issue.
Chinese officials used to “scoff” at the idea of effecting Chinese-style regime change in the Stalinist state, but an “unprecedented debate” has taken place over Beijing’s North Korea policies, Newsweek said in its Oct. 30 issue.
Mentioning the stoppage of financial transfers and food exports to North Korea, the magazine backed the possibility of a coup.
Four major Chinese banks halted financial transfers to North Korea last Friday, and China decreased food exports to the isolated regime by two-thirds, the weekly said.
“Among some close advisers to the government, the idea of a Beijing-friendly palace coup has gained new currency,” the report said. “China certainly has the means.”
The means is the 11,000 barrels of oil China offers the reclusive state every day _ accounting for over 70 percent of Pyongyang’s total energy supply, the magazine said.
Chinese officials have said that they want Pyongyang to return to the six-party talks on its nuclear disarmament, but some scholars, angry at Kim’s recalcitrance, are asking for the government to pull the oil plug instead, the report said.
A former U.S. Pentagon official and Korea watcher said in an interview with Newsweek that the likely pool of moderate North Koreans who could succeed Kim includes Sinophile military officers and technocrats. “They have come to believe that Chinese-style economic reforms will help transform North Korea,” he said.
As for post-Kim Jong-il scenarios, the report said, “China would prefer North Korea to maintain a friendly, ideally socialist, buffer state on its periphery, which could keep U.S. soldiers based in South Korea at arm’s length.”
I can see this happening. One of the main things that is supposed to be cut are the luxury goods, which would of been used as bribes to North Korean Policos and brass. So to be allowed to go back to status quote… Someone will have to grow some and stand up. Problem is that for decade a personality cult has run North Korea, to the extent that it’s better to blend in, then stand out. And it’ll take someone who stands out to create a viable government… in replacement for Kim Jong-il.
But readying the story you get a picture that other things besides just luxury goods are being cut…. which in most countries would cause the populous standing up and revolting. But this is North korea where millions have straved and died before when other sanctions in place… and it was the world who blinked first. Kim Il-sung out-starred them then… and Kim Jong-il is looking to be even crazier.
Tags: Interesting, News, OpEd, Politics
