[N. Korea]Stay Rich or die trying: How Kim Jong Un uses Office 39 to make money and pay off generals

SOFREP ^ | 05.11.2018 | MATT PEYER

[TigerLikesRooster]

Stay Rich or die trying: How Kim Jong Un uses Office 39 to make money and pay off generals

BY MATT PEYER 05.11.2018 #EXPERT ANALYSIS

Kim Jong Un has a problem. Put aside the obvious issues like his weight or the bad haircut. He rules an isolated and impoverished nation, surrounded by his dad’s old advisors and generals, who know he is unqualified and that they could do a better job. So what is a young despot supposed to do to keep the champagne flowing and not lose his head in a coup? Fire up dad’s old money-making slush fund, Office 39 to pay everyone off and then maybe kill his uncle just to set an example.

Calling North Korea a depressing place is an understatement. The country is a Stalinist police state with a non-existent economy and massive poverty. Despite the bleak existence of ordinary citizens, Kim Jong Un and elite live the like kings. His wealth sits at $5 billion, and experts claim that in one year he spent $645 million on luxury goods. Kim Jong Un’s expensive tastes are well-known. He likes French cognac and Russian caviar and wears Patek Philippe watches, loves Air Jordan shoes and owns a jet and a fleet of armored Mercedes Benz limousines. To top it off, he has a private theme park and ski resort. Despite the goods and the parties with Dennis Rodman, life is not all joy for the young leader.

Dynastic regimes whether they are criminal or governmental all at one time face a big problem. After a few generations, the family devolves from hardened authoritarians to pampered playboys. For proof of this theory, Google the grandkids of mob boss John Gotti. This dilution applies to the Kim family.

[TigerLikesRooster]

His slush fund basically took a major hit due to sanctions directed against his regime. Along with some other unfortunate accident such as the collapse of nuclear test site, a serious radioactive hazard. Some reports even say his fund is only several months away from completely drying up. If NK elites start to panic, Kim will have a real problem.

One of the reasons he is coming out and trying to put on a good show. He needs money, but he is not about to give up his entire nuclear arsenal. He will attempt to give up only enough for staging a great media show to sway public opinion.

[TigerLikesRooster]

P!

[MUDDOG]

I wonder if his A-bombs were stored in the mountain and got destroyed in the collapse, and he doesn’t have any left.

[dangus]

Office 39... I didn’t even know Microsoft was AROUND in 1939!

[SaveFerris]

[ Office 39 ]

Does it still have a spreadsheet and a word processor?

Seriously, check for connections to:

1) The Clinton Foundation
2) Obama
3) John Kerry

Just kidding - kinda

[ExpatCanuck]

Probably. And probably a tungsten projectile launched from high orbit. Same kinetic energy as a nuke with any fallout. He knows what he is dealing with now.

[MUDDOG]

Office 39

China's stopped supporting that.

[jaz.357]

" Office 39... I didn’t even know Microsoft was AROUND in 1939!"

Microsoft wasn't then, but they are now!

[ThanhPhero]

Those 100 dollar bills-> That is what I have been talking about for years. Those bills are detectable only with US Treasury equipment and Treas is not lending it out. A substantial portion, maybe 100 per cent of the inflation of the VN Đồng against the dollar is due to those exquisite fakes. The biggest market for them is SEA. Australia boarded a small Chinese freighter grounded off its north coast a decade or so back. It carried bales of those things.

[AmericanInTokyo]

NHK did a great documentary on this. Complete with satellite pics of the precise location in Pyongyang