North Korea after Kim Chong-il: Leadership Dynamics and Potential Crisis Scenarios

Abstract

In August 2008, Kim Chong-il reportedly suffered a stroke. On October 4, after a 51-day absence, he reappeared in the pages of the North Korean media, bringing to an end speculation that he had died. While the international media spotlight began to fade, this incident raised serious questions among intelligence analysts and policymakers alike from Washington, DC to Seoul and Beijing. What would have happened if Kim had died in a period in which the regime had not worked out the succession? What kind of leadership configuration would emerge? Could the regime sustain itself or would it collapse into chaos? Even though the regime has subsequently taken steps to deal with such an eventuality, many of these questions remain.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 2011
Accession Number
AD1014569

Entities

People

  • Ken E. Gause

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Command And Control
  • Commerce
  • Crisis Management
  • Emergency Response
  • Employment
  • Failed States
  • Governments
  • International Organizations
  • Law
  • Military Science
  • Mobile Phones
  • National Governments
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • United States
  • Urban Areas
  • War Colleges

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • International Relations, focusing on Korea-Africa and North Korea-South Korea relations, and Nigeria-Latin American Relations.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.