These photos carried by North Korea’s ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun on Dec. 29, 2015, show the country’s leader Kim Jong-un at a commendations ceremony for fishermen. According to the report, Kim lauded the exemplary fishermen and fisheries officials for their remarkable successes. (Yonhap)
Via a reader tip comes the below news that a close aid of Kim Jong-un has died in a car accident. Considering Kim Jong-il’s recent track record it makes me wonder if this was really an accident or not? However, the North Korean state media “closest comrade-in-arms and steadfast revolutionary comrade” and he was given a state funeral. If Kim Jong-un wanted Kim Yang-gon dead maybe he is now doing it in a way that doesn’t bring negative international media attention? Either that or it really was just a car accident:
A senior North Korean ruling party official and a top aide to leader Kim Jong Un has died in a car accident, the state news agency reported on Wednesday, in the latest event to hit the close circle of deputies of the country’s leader.
Kim Yang Gon, who was a secretary of the Workers’ Party and the head of its United Front Department, the unit that handles the North’s ties with South Korea, was Kim Jong Un’s “closest comrade, a solid revolutionary partner,” KCNA said.
Kim as the top official managing ties with the South was part of a high-level delegation that held talks in August after the rival states exchanged artillery fire, raising tensions to one of its highest points in recent years.
Those talks produced an agreement that ended the standoff and for the two sides to work to hold more discussions to improve ties.
KCNA said Kim died on Tuesday in an automobile accident at the age of 73. It gave no details of the accident. [Reuters]
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) talks with a senior official of the North Korean People’s Army during his inspection of actual maneuvers between the Army’s large combined units 526 and 671 in this photo released by the North’s state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Dec. 24, 2015. Kim was also quoted as saying, “Practical drills should be conducted so often to cope with the hardest and severest war.” The paper, published by the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, did not report when the photo was taken. (Yonhap)
We now know why Kim Jong-un’s girl band had to cancel their Beijing performance:
Hyon Song-wol (L), leader of North Korea’s all-female band, arrives at a Beijing hotel on Dec. 11, 2015. The Moranbong Band came to China the previous day for what will be its first performance abroad, a move that North Korea watchers say is a gesture by Pyongyang to mend somewhat strained ties with Beijing. Hyon was once rumored to have been executed for distributing pornographic videotapes. The Moranbong Band, formed by the North’s current leader Kim Jong-un in 2012, will perform for three days in the Chinese capital. (Yonhap)
China had decided to send officials of lower rank to a concert by the all-female North Korean propaganda band in response to the North’s leader Kim Jong-un hinting earlier last week that Pyongyang had developed a hydrogen bomb, a source in Beijing close to the situation said Sunday.
The decision might have been related to the sudden cancellation of the concert by the North Korean side, said the source, who got the information from a Chinese government official with knowledge of the situation.
The Moranbong Band, formed in 2012 following an order from leader Kim, had been scheduled to perform for three days in Beijing starting Saturday, in what was seen as a fresh sign of warming relations between the two allies.
However, the band abruptly headed home hours before the invitation-only concert began Saturday. [Yonhap]
Supposedly their were Internet rumors in China that Kim Jong-un had a relationship with one of the girl band members. These rumors may be why the performance was cancelled so suddenly:
An all-female band formed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un canceled its concerts in Beijing and abruptly left the Chinese capital on Saturday for unknown reasons, possibly further cooling relations between the traditional allies.
The Moranbong Band had been scheduled to hold three concerts in Beijing beginning Saturday night in what was viewed as a visit to cultivate ties between the countries.
However, band members arrived at Beijing’s airport in North Korean Embassy vehicles on Saturday afternoon, and departed aboard a North Korean Air Koryo jet shortly after 4 p.m. following a lengthy delay, Chinese news website sina.com reported.
A staff member at the National Theater, where the band was to give the invitation-only performances, said the concerts had been canceled, but did not give a reason. An accompanying North Korean musical troupe, the State Merited Chorus, also canceled its performances. [Associated Press]
