The world's only hereditary communist dynasty is going into its third generation, as the secretive dictatorship in Pyongyang announced to its people Sunday that the "Dear Leader" died the day before, allegedly of a heart attack brought on by overwork. Power is passing to the youngest of his three sons, Kim Jong-un, now known as the "Great Successor," formerly labeled by the regime as the "Brilliant Comrade." It appears that, at least for the moment, the succession is being accepted by the various factions of the North Korean military establishment, who monopolize force and power in the regime. But it is far from certain that the succession will be as orderly as that of the departed Dear Leader, when regime founder Kim Il-sung died 17 years ago. Outsiders know very little about the inner dynamics of the Kim dynasty, but the mere fact that the Great Successor has two older brothers is a potential source of trouble, at least historically, offering a potential rallying point for dissident...(Read Full Post)