Breaking: Kim Jong-Il Is Dead

At least according to twitter reports.

Update: It's now official - according to the AP:

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Kim Jong Il, North Korea's mercurial and enigmatic leader, has died. He was 69.

Kim's death was announced Monday by state television from the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.

Kim is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008 but appeared relatively vigorous in photos and video from recent trips to China and Russia and in numerous trips around the country carefully documented by state media.

Reports are that Kim died from "physical fatigue during a train ride". I'm not kidding.

And I guess this blog won't be updating much in the future.

And apparently the slow motion North Korea collapse is even beginning to affect the military which until the last few years had been treated much better than the average people:

It was recently revealed that last month eight North Korean soldiers fled across the China border (near the west coast). The fleeing soldiers were armed and two were killed by other soldiers during the escape across the Yalu River. The six soldiers are still being sought by Chinese police. The escaped soldiers are believed to have bribed the Chinese border guards on the other side of the river to look the other way. This is the largest escape of armed North Korea soldiers and is but one of many reports of poor discipline and plunging morale in the North Korea security forces. From the conscripts in the infantry to the elite secret police there is a feeling of unease and disbelief at how the North Korea police state is falling apart.

Update: To honor Jong-Il North Korea has announced that all lights will be turned off.

posted by Maetenloch at 10:09 PM

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