Quote:
Originally Posted by Ledgem
I suspect this to be the case, as well. It sounds like Kim Jong Un lived and studied outside of North Korea for quite some time, which is quite different from his father. That means you have someone who is non-military and culturally not fully North Korean, who is now leading a state that centers deeply around nationalism and its military. The existing power structure is probably wary of his commitment, and he may not have many trustworthy contacts within the government.
It's quite possible that he's in a nightmare scenario. Even if he really wanted to change North Korea he probably can't - not at this point in time. He needs to engage in acts and rhetoric that satisfy the existing chain of command that he's genuine, or else they might rebel against him. He can't flee, either, as other governments probably wouldn't want him, he might be prosecuted for crimes against his people (that he might or might not have had control over), and who knows if the North Korean government would go after him internationally.
Of course, it's also possible that he's having the time of his life and is calling the shots unopposed... but it's hard to tell with these types of regimes.
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He's had to kill half of the old guard last year to consolidate his legitimacy to lead. On top of that, I agree with you on your point. He still has to legitimize himself. Unlike il though I believe that this kid does not know the game, and it might prove disastrous. WE are about to witness one of the worse humanitarian crisis in the 21st century if the situation escalates anymore than it already has. Anyway Autocracy is always like this.