Un Dead? Rumors Fly That Kim Jong-un Has Been Assassinated in Beijing

From Forbes, lots of talk on Twitter about Kim John-un being dead:

In the past two hours, Twitter has exploded with unsubstantiated rumors that the new North Korean dictator died in Beijing today and that a coup is underway in North Korea. All rumor of course, and one that appears to have been started on China’s twitter-like platform Weibo. As the story goes, a couple assassins barged into Kim’s room in Beijing and shot him, before being shot and killed themselves by bodyguards.

We didn't even get to know how creepy he would be.

Recall that Kim Jong-un's uncle and aunt, Jang Song Thaek and Kim Kyong Hui, were to be playing key roles in his government. And that Kim Jong-un had siblings. In fact, one of them said last month that he was doomed:

The eldest son of North Korea's late leader Kim Jong-il has predicted the regime would soon fail, with or without reforms, according to a new book that the author says is based on emails and interviews with Kim Jong-nam.

The book says that Kim Jong-nam - who has never met the new leader, his half-brother Kim Jong-un - described the dynastic succession as "a joke to the outside world", and said even his father had originally opposed the hereditary transfer of power.

"The Kim Jong-un regime will not last long," Kim Jong-nam is said to have written, forecasting a power struggle. "Without reforms, North Korea will collapse, and when such changes take place, the regime will collapse."

I hope they have those nukes locked down.

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posted by rdbrewer at 02:50 PM

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