Kim Jong Un reportedly in “Grave Danger” after surgery.

[CumbrianLefty]

Kim Yo-jong, his sister, is the closest thing to an heir he has. Not good news for North Korea if true.

From a Guardian article published just yesterday:

As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic – with Pyongyang continuing to insist it has not recorded a single case – Kim Yo-jong’s ascendancy continues.

Last month, she made her first public statement, condemning the South as a “frightened dog barking” after Seoul protested against a live-fire military exercise by the North. And in March, she publicly praised Donald Trump for sending Kim a letter in which he said he hoped to maintain good bilateral relations and offered help in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

The publication of political statements in Kim Yo-jong’s name underlines her central role in the regime, according to Youngshik Bong, a research fellow at Yonsei University’s Institute for North Korean Studies in Seoul. “It is revealing that Kim Jong-un permitted her to write and announce a scathing statement about South Korea in such a personal tone,” Bong said. “He is clearly ready to allow his sister to become his alter ego.”

A ruthless dictator woman would be an interesting change of pace. Also, she's younger than I am, and I haven't managed to oppress anyone yet

Indira Gandhi (or her ghost, anyway) says hi

[CumbrianLefty]

Kim Yo-jong, his sister, is the closest thing to an heir he has. Not good news for North Korea if true.

From a Guardian article published just yesterday:

As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic – with Pyongyang continuing to insist it has not recorded a single case – Kim Yo-jong’s ascendancy continues.

Last month, she made her first public statement, condemning the South as a “frightened dog barking” after Seoul protested against a live-fire military exercise by the North. And in March, she publicly praised Donald Trump for sending Kim a letter in which he said he hoped to maintain good bilateral relations and offered help in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

The publication of political statements in Kim Yo-jong’s name underlines her central role in the regime, according to Youngshik Bong, a research fellow at Yonsei University’s Institute for North Korean Studies in Seoul. “It is revealing that Kim Jong-un permitted her to write and announce a scathing statement about South Korea in such a personal tone,” Bong said. “He is clearly ready to allow his sister to become his alter ego.”

A ruthless dictator woman would be an interesting change of pace. Also, she's younger than I am, and I haven't managed to oppress anyone yet

Indira Gandhi (or her ghost, anyway) says hi

I don't think Indira qualifies as a dictator, outside of the 2 year period of Emergency (which she willingly ended and put herself at the mercy of the electorate's wimbs afterwards). But she certainly came closer to qualifying for the label of 'ruthless dictator woman' than most other politicians over the past 50 years.
Ironically among the top candidates might be Sheikh Hasina in neighboring Bangladesh.

Well yeah, its that which I was thinking of rather. And its fair to say she was forced into that election rather than happily agreeing to it out of the goodness of her heart

[CumbrianLefty]

Newspapers had big bold headlines announcing Kim Il Sung's death 8 years before he actually dropped dead.

In 1986 presumably, wasn't that some sort of (still murky) coup attempt?

[CumbrianLefty]

Anyway, anything more about these rumours emerged yet?

[CumbrianLefty]

A Japanese magazine is saying he’s in a vegetative state.

"So not much different from normal then"

[CumbrianLefty]

Though still no reliable backing for the reports he is "brain dead" or similar.

[CumbrianLefty]

He died but then got better. A May Day miracle!

Kim, or Boris?