The wrath of the young Kim Jong Un as Supreme Leader in killing his Uncle is a way to consolidate his regime and remove it from the influence of his Aunty, Kim Jong Il's sister and is to be expected, for it does no harm to her, the Aunty, as she is a distinct figure within the DPRK royalty. We shouldn't be surprised by this as it is the same kind of system employed by the Saudi Arabian royal family to maintain a stable regime and to extend the right of the 'King' per se.
All Royal Families began in this way and did indeed flourish throughout the world for many centuries in Europe, UK, and the Middle East, as did the Royals of the old Chinese Empire, and the Royal Japanese family.
Whereas John Kerry can see this as a 'de-stabilising' thing in North Korea I'm sure, when he sees what happens in the Saudi or Jordanian royal families, he would understand it as being a necessary way to manage the kingdoms so that they become far more stable.
I would expect Kim Jong Un will be removing his older brothers from the equation in time. This is human Royalty as we have always known it to be....from the Romans, and before them, through the great royal houses of Europe England and the Russias, and most certainly in the Middle-East now.
As I recall Henry the VIII of England was a tough guy too, and he did well...and went on to be the head of a World Religion, the Church of England...and thus outlived himself in many ways through all the ages to the present. Kim Jong UN isn't crazy, he is just of Royal birth in that system and his actions make sense.
All Royal Families began in this way and did indeed flourish throughout the world for many centuries in Europe, UK, and the Middle East, as did the Royals of the old Chinese Empire, and the Royal Japanese family.
Whereas John Kerry can see this as a 'de-stabilising' thing in North Korea I'm sure, when he sees what happens in the Saudi or Jordanian royal families, he would understand it as being a necessary way to manage the kingdoms so that they become far more stable.
I would expect Kim Jong Un will be removing his older brothers from the equation in time. This is human Royalty as we have always known it to be....from the Romans, and before them, through the great royal houses of Europe England and the Russias, and most certainly in the Middle-East now.
As I recall Henry the VIII of England was a tough guy too, and he did well...and went on to be the head of a World Religion, the Church of England...and thus outlived himself in many ways through all the ages to the present. Kim Jong UN isn't crazy, he is just of Royal birth in that system and his actions make sense.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, applauds before the Arirang Festival at the 150,000-seat Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang on Friday, July 26. The festival features thousands of performers putting on acrobatic dances set to music. This year's festival is themed on the "victory" of the armistice agreement that ended the Korean War.
The 90-minute performances will be repeated throughout the festival, which runs until September 9.
Adding to the showmanship of the performances is a backdrop created by thousands of people holding up pages from a booklet; the backdrop changes as the participants turn the pages in sequence.
The finale of the performance features fireworks and an intricate display on the field as well as by those creating the backdrop.
The festival draws large crowds throughout its run.
Dancers perform during the festival on July 26.
Dancers with flower props create a sea of color and movement on July 26.
A woman sits next to models of military weapons at a festival for the "Kimilsungia" and "Kimjongilia" flowers, named after the country's late leaders, on Wednesday, July 24, in Pyongyang, North Korea. The exhibition was held to mark the 60th anniversary of the signing of the armistice agreement that ended the fighting on July 27, 1953.
The North Korean military band leads an international peace march at the Three Charters for National Reunification Memorial Tower in Pyongyang on July 24. This was the first war in which the United Nations played a role and the first to battle with jet aircraft.
A mosaic of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il is on display at an exhibition in Pyongyang on July 24.
Veterans of the Korean War wave at the crowd as they leave by bus after arriving at the Pyongyang railway station Tuesday, July 23.
A North Korean soldier explains the history of the armistice agreement between North and South Korea at the truce village of Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone on Monday, July 22. The demilitarized zone separates the two Koreas and remains one of the most tense borders in the world.
Women jump through hula hoops during the opening night of the annual Arirang Festival, or "mass games," at Pyongyang's May Day Stadium on Monday, July 22.
North Korean dancers perform during the Arirang Festival in Pyongyang on July 22. This year's performance was timed to debut for the 60th anniversary on July 27 and features new scenes focusing on leader Kim Jong Un's directives.
At dusk, the setting sunlight is reflected on the Taedong River in Pyongyang on Sunday, July 21.
Children skate around the Kim Il Sung Square on July 21 in downtown Pyongyang.
People dine in a restaurant at the Koryo hotel on July 21 in downtown Pyongyang.
People pose for photos near a display model of an octopus as they visit a dolphin show facility at an amusement park in Pyongyang on Sunday, June 23.
Men and women dance in front of the Monument to the Party Founding in Pyongyang on Wednesday, June 19. The performance celebrates the day the late North Korean leader Kim Jung Il began his work at the central committee of the communist nation's ruling Workers' Party in 1964.
A man reads a newspaper on a public display at Puhung subway station in Pyongyang on Tuesday, June 18. Some stations are more elaborate than others and foreign visitors are usually only allowed to take one stop, from Puhung station to Yonggwang.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un uses a pair of binoculars to look south from the Jangjae Islet Defense Detachment near South Korea's Taeyonphyong Island on Thursday, March 7. Kim is the youngest son of Kim Jong Il and came into power after his fathers death in 2011.
A nurse comforts a baby at a nursery inside Pyongyang Maternity Hospital in Pyongyang on Wednesday, February 20.
North Korean traffic officers gather in front of bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il to pay their respects in Pyongyang on Saturday, February 16. North Koreans turned out to commemorate what would have been the 71st birthday of Kim, who died on December 17, 2011.
A national meeting marks the anniversary of the birth of the late leader Kim Jong II at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium on Saturday, February 16.
