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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 02:25 PM Apr 2013

Nobody's Seen Kim Jong Un Publicly for Two Weeks

ADAM CLARK ESTES 1:00 PM ET
North Korea's been owning headlines for the better part of a month now with its threats against the American imperialists and friends. Kim Jong Un, however, has been less conspicuous. In fact, the country's supreme leader has basically been absent from the public eye altogether, so much so that there are whispers of a coup. That hardly seems likely based on what we've seen the North Korean army doing on the ground, but it's curious nonetheless.

It's not entirely out of the question for Kim Jong Un to lay low. He's called a "strange hermit king" for a reason. However, it's kind of an important moment for North Korea. In recent weeks, the country's repeatedly threatened a nuclear attack on the Untied States and most recently aimed its guns at Japan. Kim Jong Un's been checked out, though, and some say it's all a part of the intimidation strategy. Kim hasn't been seen in public since April 1, when he led a session of parliament. Pyongyang's been busy in the meantime, shutting down factories, prepping for a fourth nuclear test and moving missiles towards the U.S. South Korea's Yonhap news agency says that the leader's absence amounts to "psychological warfare that could grab attention from South Korea and the United States."

Quite frankly, the fact that Kim Jong Un is scarce lately is a lot less frightening than the fact that North Korea is threatening to launch a nuclear bomb at the United States. Again, he's known for being hermitic, and with so many foreign intelligence agencies breathing down his neck, now's probably not the best time for the young dictator to go on long walks alone. It's pretty likely that Kim will come out of hiding soon, as the anniversary for his grandfather Kim Il-Sung is right around the corner. In the meantime, as secretary of state John Kerry tours the region, experts suggest that he's backed himself into a corner. "His father and his grandfather always figured into their provocation cycle an off-ramp of how to get out of it," Adm. Samuel Locklear III, the commander of U.S. troops in the Pacific, told Congress last week. "It's not clear to me that he has thought through how to get out of it."

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http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2013/04/nobodys-seen-kim-jong-un-publically-two-weeks/64206/

49 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Nobody's Seen Kim Jong Un Publicly for Two Weeks (Original Post) DonViejo Apr 2013 OP
maybe he downloaded some cartoons in his bunker olddots Apr 2013 #1
Maybe he's sitting in the corner premium Apr 2013 #2
Nobody puts Kim Jong Un in the Corner! cthulu2016 Apr 2013 #3
Maybe he went back to just playing video games while the adults figure out what to do next! n/t RKP5637 Apr 2013 #4
He's painting puppies The Blue Flower Apr 2013 #5
He's probably playing... one_voice Apr 2013 #6
He's busy checking his nuclear missiles. edbermac Apr 2013 #7
LOL BainsBane Apr 2013 #10
Maybe he is secretly BumRushDaShow Apr 2013 #8
Or watching the new one... davidn3600 Apr 2013 #26
!!! BumRushDaShow Apr 2013 #35
Maybe a mission impossible team jambo101 Apr 2013 #9
He's working on his jump shot. Buzz Clik Apr 2013 #11
In seclusion suffering from depression TexasTowelie Apr 2013 #31
Maybe Spud Webb or Monte Towe. Buzz Clik Apr 2013 #46
a little scary treestar Apr 2013 #12
Um, or maybe he left the country for a vacation? Whole thing's surreal. freshwest Apr 2013 #20
Could be treestar Apr 2013 #37
That was my first thought and it's kind of scary. nt Auntie Bush Apr 2013 #36
World of Warcraft Tournament finals? nt Shankapotomus Apr 2013 #13
I was thinking he's a big HALO jag.... nt TeamPooka Apr 2013 #15
Look! Da drone, da drone! Xipe Totec Apr 2013 #14
He's one guy a drone might be a good thing for treestar Apr 2013 #38
He's been Phlem Apr 2013 #16
Porn? brucefan Apr 2013 #19
yes but Phlem Apr 2013 #34
Did he watch that before or after he took the Viagra? davidpdx Apr 2013 #44
Maybe his generals decided they too wanted to dine Rex Apr 2013 #17
He's studying English -- specifically, the difference between "lie" and "lay". DavidDvorkin Apr 2013 #18
Any serious thought to a coup? That would be appropriate, although not likely. freshwest Apr 2013 #21
this is ripe for a "Downfall" parody. nt Javaman Apr 2013 #22
A power struggle behind the scenes? DeSwiss Apr 2013 #23
He's probably with his pals at Langley creating more propaganda videos to justify US military build octothorpe Apr 2013 #24
OBL worked with the CIA in Afghanistan to fight the Russians. Rex Apr 2013 #25
How strange he can't be found. He is the only fat Korean asjr Apr 2013 #27
Hunkered in the bunker. n/t TexasTowelie Apr 2013 #28
Helping Darth redecorate his undisclosed location... freshwest Apr 2013 #39
Kim Jong-Il would spend awhile out of the spotlight too, no? Posteritatis Apr 2013 #29
I think he came over to the US to see the final 4 and the Masters. hughee99 Apr 2013 #30
Well, I find John2 Apr 2013 #32
Maybe a case of lead poisoning??? greytdemocrat Apr 2013 #33
Kim Jong Un-derground n/t RZM Apr 2013 #40
Bad breakout of acne. lpbk2713 Apr 2013 #41
Funny stuff here. smirkymonkey Apr 2013 #42
Rehab, maybe? Jamastiene Apr 2013 #43
Did he have lunch with Putin? Apophis Apr 2013 #45
you'd think the Onion's 'Sexiest Man Alive' would be less bashfull nt markiv Apr 2013 #47
watching SNL? flamingdem Apr 2013 #48
It is military budget season in the USA Coyotl Apr 2013 #49
 

olddots

(10,237 posts)
1. maybe he downloaded some cartoons in his bunker
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 02:28 PM
Apr 2013

they drag him out for slow news days or diversions from real news .

treestar

(82,383 posts)
38. He's one guy a drone might be a good thing for
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 11:06 PM
Apr 2013

I wonder if the DPRK would collapse without Supreme Dear Leader.

They are cult-like, so maybe it would work.

 

Rex

(65,616 posts)
17. Maybe his generals decided they too wanted to dine
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 03:22 PM
Apr 2013

on real food? They were looking very thin in recent pictures...not a good sign imo.

octothorpe

(962 posts)
24. He's probably with his pals at Langley creating more propaganda videos to justify US military build
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 04:55 PM
Apr 2013

up in Asia.

teeeheee... Come on, I can't be the only one who thought maybe he's working with the US. I don't actually think it's true, but you never know.

 

Rex

(65,616 posts)
25. OBL worked with the CIA in Afghanistan to fight the Russians.
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 04:59 PM
Apr 2013

They were bosom buddies in the 80s. So yeah it is funny...but stranger things have actually happened.

Posteritatis

(18,807 posts)
29. Kim Jong-Il would spend awhile out of the spotlight too, no?
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 05:28 PM
Apr 2013

I know the few foreign trips he had weren't reported until well afterwards, except for one to China a few years ago during which a coup attempt happened.

hughee99

(16,113 posts)
30. I think he came over to the US to see the final 4 and the Masters.
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 05:29 PM
Apr 2013

He'll be back on Monday unless he's staying for the Boston Marathon.

 

John2

(2,730 posts)
32. Well, I find
Sun Apr 14, 2013, 05:39 PM
Apr 2013

this story amusing considering. I did not know Kim needed to report his where abouts to the Western media, much less the South Korean government? In fact, I thought he was in the media just a week or so ago, in a conference with his Generals, or was this a fake? Maybe they should call him on the phone and ask for a meeting? At least Rodman told Obama that he had permission to phone.

Jamastiene

(38,187 posts)
43. Rehab, maybe?
Mon Apr 15, 2013, 02:08 AM
Apr 2013

After his latest buffoonery, I would not be surprised to hear he is detoxing in a rehab somewhere.

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