[TigerLikesRooster]

If he stays on, he is going to replace entire NK officials who he deemed old. Some expert make assessment that NK official and military establishment will skip a generation and power is pass down from current incumbents to those of their grandchild generation. NK regime's new core: young, inexperienced, belligerent, and internationally isolated. This new group could be mostly from mid 20’s to late 30’s. Older ones would be in periphery of the inner circle. They are needed to run the country but can not make the like-minded group of the young. The candidates for new core are:
Kim Jong-eun, his brother Kim Jong-chol, his sister Kim Yeojong, and his half sister Kim Sol-song. The last is said to be late 30’s, probably 39.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Yes, mass purges based on age will occur, and analysis in Tokyo is that this will hollow out the current DPRK leadership, brutal but also somewhat skilled and knows limits. What replaces them? Who knows?

Ever pulled over by two police, one younger and one seasoned and older? Notice the aggressive attitude usually by the younger one, to prove a point? I think this could well apply here. And with Barry in the White House, well, a perfect storm.

[darrellmaurina]

20 posted on 12/17/2013 4:58:49 PM by TigerLikesRooster: “The candidates for new core are: Kim Jong-eun, his brother Kim Jong-chol, his sister Kim Yeojong, and his half sister Kim Sol-song. The last is said to be late 30’s, probably 39.”

Just great. The Western world may get to see a repeat of the late 1800s and World War II-era stereotypes of Asian “dragon lady” rulers, which were based on Madame Chiang Kai-shek's role during World War II and earlier women behind the throne near the end of the Chinese Empire, such as Empress Dowager Cixi.

The problem is that some stereotypes are true. Go ask a Westerner who has worked for an Asian company under the authority of an upper-level female manager, let alone a daughter or granddaughter of the owner. Asian women placed into positions of power far too often act more authoritarian than the men around them, perhaps because the alternative would be perceived as being a sign of weakness, and lead to their removal from power.

Exceptions exist, obviously, but the phrase “kimchi temper,” when used to refer to Korean women, did not develop without reason.

Oh well. Kimchi temper can be useful to get things done — and it may be critical now to have a strong president in South Korea's Blue House.

I guess we should be glad that our ally Israel has Benjamin Netanyahu to intimidate Middle Easterners who don't fear our president and that South Korea has President Park to intimidate the North Korean leader who clearly has more respect for Dennis Rodman than for our president. Sometimes chutzpah and kimchi temper can be very useful.

And in case anyone wonders if TigerLikesRooster is the only one thinking this way, here's an article on the women rising to power in North Korea: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10517906/The-women-behind-the-throne-in-North-Koreas-empire-of-horror.html

Here's a profile of Kim Sol-song from three years ago which noted even then her potential for future influence: http://nkleadershipwatch.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/kim-sol-song20104revsn.pdf

And here's a profile of Kim Yeojong from a year and a half ago regarding her role as a “royal inspector” in the ancient Korean monarchical tradition of roaming the countryside in secret and reporting back to the king on what is really happening in the provinces:
http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk02900&num=8826