“Pyongyang is becoming less calculating, less rational and less Machiavellian than it used to be. And this is not good news.”
Only in North Korea does “less Machiavellian” equal bad news. But so says North Korea expert Andrei Lankov, assessing the rumors swirling around everyone’s favorite modern-day czar, Kim Jong-Il.
Kim seems to be paving the way for his son, Kim Jong-un, to take over the dictatorship that’s been in the family since 1948. But it’s not clear when or why — Jong-il may have had a stroke or may be paralyzed (or both), or he may just be acting crazier than normal.
On the plus side: North Koreans can finally watch the World Cup!
Speaking of which, The Guardian has just run a lovely story on the enduring friendship between the English town of Middlebrough and members of the 1966 North Korean World Cup team.