Downfall of Guardian

A lot of people guess a lot of things. The downfall of an uncle of the North Korean leader caused various skepticisms about stability of the regime. Whether it was the top leader’s boldness or rising of military power, Kim Jong-un regime is supposed to increase bold attitude with his reinforced power. The situation in Northeast Asia is going to be more complicated.

Newspapers in Japan on Tuesday inserted a photograph when North’s number two leader, Jiang Song-thaek, was arrested in front of comrades in a meeting of politburo. The suspicion was that he had committed anti-party and anti-revolutionary activities in order to expand his power in the administration. His crimes also said to include giving national resources away in discount prices, inappropriate relationship with multiple women, drinking, using drugs and gambling abroad. Those were severely accused as “capitalistic.” In short, he was stripped of all his power in the regime.

Jiang had been playing a role of the diplomatic representative in relation with China. In the area close to the border with China, Jiang was supporting economic development. It is fair to say he was leading economic reform in North Korea. Specialists on the peninsula analyze that the leadership did not like the reform oriented by economic approach, instead of traditional priority of military.

One possibility is that Kim Jong-un took an initiative in excluding Jiang with his leadership over military. To establish his power on military leaders, Kim, as the supreme commander, might have demonstrated unchanging status of military organization. However, some reports revealed Kim’s lavish attitude in his policy exercise, which includes developing ski resort or horse riding club. It is rather Kim who is the most capitalistic in North Korea. With stepping down of his uncle, there is no person to remonstrate with the extravagance of that young leader.

Another is retaliation of military against economic reformers. Kim’s late father, Jong-il, appointed Jiang as political anchor against military community for his succeeding son. After that structure was established, political power has been overwhelming military. Commanders must have seen it as an appeasement to foreign pressure for dismantling nuclear weapons program and missile development.

There actually is nothing for Japan to make action against the incident inside the North. Because Jiang had nothing to do with the national project, his downfall would not affect solution of abduction issue of the Japanese. The government of Japan only watches and sees what is going on.