What is the status of North Korean leader Kim Jong Ils health?
Compared to previous rumors about Kim Jong Il’s health, recent reports are deemed to be credible. Kim is known to have serious chronic heart and kidney problems. Baseline thinking among North Korea analysts at present is that Kim’s health issues — in this instance a stroke — have incapacitated him. Debate now revolves around how incapacitated he is. Will he be able to recover or will his initial condition deteriorate? What are the implications of Kim’s weak health on multilateral denuclearization efforts? As debate continues, questions are growing in Washington, Seoul, and Beijing regarding North Korea’s leadership succession and its implications. On this matter, many North Korea analysts assert that a collective military leadership is likely to emerge in Pyongyang should Kim’s health problems lead to a succession crisis. While one of Kim’s three sons (Kim Jong-nam, Kim Jong-chul, Kim Jong-eun) or his brother-in-law (Jang Sung-taek) may be picked to be the symbolic head of the group,
