Missile test failure boosts Kim Jong-un's power
Seoul (AsiaNews) - The explosion of the Unha-3 missile two minutes after launch "represents a point in favour of Kim Jong-un, North Korea's new dictator. Since the death of his father Kim Jong-il, he has been involved in a power struggle with the North Korean military. He did not want the missile test. Instead, he wants greater dialogue with the international community," a Korean source involved with North Korean exiles told AsiaNews.
Two hours after the failed launch, which the United States and South Korea described as a "provocation, the Central Military Commission appointed Kim Jong-un as its "first president". Following tradition, the late Kim Jong-il was named the body's "eternal president".
This appointment shows that "the young man won a battle in the struggle with the military, who hold the real power in the country," the source explained.
Based on the regime's official Juche ideology, formulated by the "father of the nation" Kim Il-sung, North Korea must pursue economic and military autarchy.
His son maintained the policy, taking away resources and prospects from the civilian population to strengthen the military, the point that North Korea has one of the largest standing armies in the world. At the same time, he brought the rest of the country to the brink of disaster. With a population of some 22 million, the regime can barely feed half of it on its own.
Today's rocket launch came with a US$ 1.5 billion price tag. "It is a huge waste of money," the source said. "Kim Jong-un knows that without the support of Washington and Seoul, he faces many risks; not so much a popular revolt than mass starvation. This is why he is willing to deal with the world. But to do so he must defeat the generals who are afraid of losing power and ending up on the chopping block. The failure of the missile test could be good news for him."
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12/02/2016 15:14
12/09/2016 16:41
