N. Korea: Abruptly, Jong-il’s sister disappears from public (& turns up in Moscow)

Kim Jong-il’s younger sister, Kyong-hui, has not been seen for two months in the North Korean media, and a spotting in June may explain her disappearance.

A South Korean government source familiar with the inner workings of North Korea said yesterday that the 65-year-old Kim Kyong-hui had been seen by South Korean tourists at an airport in Moscow.

“Kim has been suffering from back complications from the past, and it seems she received treatment [in Russia],” the source said. “She was surrounded by North Korean bodyguards at the time. Her back was crooked, like she was in pain, and she had trouble walking.”

Despite her medical problems, the “Dear Leader’s” younger sister apparently spent time shopping for luxury goods in Russia before heading back to the North in August.

Before her abrupt disappearance from the media, Kim Kyong-hui was frequently publicized on Kim Jong-il’s “field guidance trips” with her husband Jang Song-thaek, considered the second-most powerful man in North Korea. The last report on Kim Kyong-hui from the North was on June 5.

Kim Kyong-hui’s recent rise to prominence came after Kim Jong-il suffered a stroke in 2008. Changes were made in the North Korean leader’s entourage shortly after, and the status of both Kim Kyong-hui and her husband was elevated.

When she was given four-star general status with her nephew and Kim Jong-il’s heir apparent, Jong-un, last September, analysts and South Korean government officials agreed that Kim Jong-il was making preparations for his youngest son’s ascension, surrounding him with trusted family members in high positions.

Prior to coming into the spotlight in the past few years, Kyong-hui was widely known to have suffered from severe alcohol addiction and depression.

From your post:
“...Kyong-hui was widely known to have suffered from severe alcohol addiction and depression.”

This sounds very much like someone suffering from bipolar disorder who has self medicated with alcohol over the years. Depression becomes unbearable in the 50’s and 60’s as alcohol becomes insufficient to trigger a “happy” mood swing. Manias and hypomanias become “dysphoric” instead of euphoric.

And, of course, bipolar disorder runs in families.

Depression and black rage becomes the norm and suicide the only out.

I think I am correct in this evaluation. I wish I thought otherwise. Such people are very, very far from rational. They are tired of living and not much afraid of dying.

Bipolar people generally have periods, which unfortunately can last their lifetimes, where they have a “chainsaw personality”. Sort of a “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” perpetrator personality where maximum hurt is intended and delivered. This is related to the “dysphoric mania” idea, when the sufferer is manic, alert and active and filled with rage and depressed at the same time. Theis very unhappy person generally is only interested in sharing the pain, with interest.

The use of recreational drugs and alcohol in any amount whatever hasten the progression of the disorder; unfortunately, alcohol will, in their younger days, cause a shift from dark depression to “euphoric”,”happy” mania or hypomania, so bipolars tend to “self-medicate” with alcohol, marijuana, etc., resulting in their disorder getting worse more quickly. The more alcohol and drugs are used the faster the downhill slide. You end up with a person with advanced bipolar disorder who is also an alcoholic.

I rather think Kim Il Sung and Jong Il were/are bipolar themselves. The elder Kim’s daughter is, and the younger Kim’s sister. The disorder runs in families.

Some experts think a large portion of the world’s population are bipolar - I have seen one in seven mentioned. If they stay away from drugs and alcohol they can do OK. Goering, Hitler, and Stalin did not.

Not all bipolars turn into monsters. Winston Churchill comes to mind, and he drank heavily.

Bipolars who abstain from alcohol and drugs can function fairly well for many years but tend to have a very dark view of human nature. This showed up as an intense realism in Churchill’s case. Less honorable men end up like the Glorious Leader and his son.

The disorder tends to progress with age until not uncommonly all they want to do is hurt people unless they are simply too depressed to care at all (not uncommon). The disorder is readily treated nowadays with mood stabilizers and other psychotropic drugs combined with absolutely no alcohol or recreational drugs.

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