Author Bob Woodward’s new book Rage, an examination of President Donald Trump’s first term due to be released on September 15, reportedly includes excerpts from the letters Trump exchanged with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. One of the letters from Kim is said to include an explicit account of the execution of his uncle Jang Song-thaek in 2013.
North Korea has reportedly dispatched Han Song-ryol, vice foreign minister and one of that country’s most experienced negotiators, to a labor camp along with five other top officials for the crime of “breaching doctrine” by suggesting innovative tactics for breaking the diplomatic stalemate with the United States.
Kim Yo-jong, the 28-year-old sister of dictator Kim Jong-un, has become only the second woman in Communist North Korean history to join the Politburo. The first was Kim Kyong-hui, who was likewise the sister of the dictator at the time, Kim Jong-il.
A Japanese magazine called Nikkei Asian Review reported this week that North Korea’s chilly relations with its longtime patron China are due, in part, to a Chinese plan that would have eliminated North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and replaced him with his half-brother Kim Jong-nam.
Contents: China announces it will block imports of North Korea’s coal; Assassination of Kim Jong-un’s half-brother in Malaysia threatens relations with China and North Korea
Contents: Wife of North Korea’s child dictator Kim Jong-un has disappeared; Protests across Morocco after horrific death of fishmonger in garbage truck
The South Korean news agency Yonhap is reporting that North Korea has executed the nation’s army chief of General Staff, reportedly on charges of corruption. This disruption in Pyongyang’s leadership follows a string of belligerent acts on the part of the communist regime, most recently the use of a long-range rocket to launch an alleged satellite into orbit.
The former head of South Korea’s intelligence agency, Ra Jong-yil, claims to have evidence that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il did not plan to leave his son, Kim Jong-un, in charge of the country, but a combination of infighting between an appointed committee and the younger Kim’s efforts to cement his hold on power resulted in his rise to leadership.
