Power Play

A Successor in North Korea?

Kim Jong Il's youngest son could be next.

To the experts following North Korean politics, the country’s upcoming Worker’s Party gathering looks like déjà vu. It is eerily reminiscent of the gathering 30 years ago that saw Kim Jong Il come to power and speculation is swirling that he is preparing to pass the mantle to his youngest son, Kim Jong Un. South Korean activists believe that the party congress will begin tomorrow and last through the weekend, with “the reorganization of its leadership structure” topping the agenda. The elder Kim, whose health is believed to be deteriorating, has already made two trips to China this year, possibly to earn an endorsement for his son. Kim Jong Un is a mysterious figure and little his known about him outside his homeland, besides the fact that he is likely in his late 20s.