Whatever happened to North Korea?

Gosh. It’s been some time since very much has been heard about the current goings on with the Communist tag team of Kim Jon Il and his son Jon Un. Perhaps the on-going meltdown of the rest of the world might have something to do with that. That pesky earthquake in Japan has also managed to hog to international headlines to a great extent. But, be advised, North Korea has not gone away and it will soon be back in the headlines.

Coming up in 2012 will be the regimes celebration of a “strong and prosperous state”. Unfortunately, the prosperous part hasn’t happened and isn’t likely to happen. Looks like only ‘strong’ will have to do. That year will be the 100th anniversary year of the birth of his grandfather, President Kim Il Sung, who died in 1994 — but who still officially reigns as president for eternity, his expertly embalmed corpse on display in the capital. So 2012 will be a very important year indeed.

That has some pundits wondering about the real intent of recent begging by the regime for food supplies. They wonder if this effort to feed the masses is intended to help bolster good will among the people during a year which may see the ascent of Jon Un into power or whether it is intended to build up supplies of food prior to the advent of a serious war with the south. Either way, I’ll make the assumption that 2012 will see this country surge right back into the headlines.