The president of the Committee for Democratization of North Korea Hwang Jang Yop said last week, “If Kim Jong Il dies, then the Central Committee of the Party will begin to discuss issues related to the succession.”
President Hwang, who served as Secretary of International Affairs of the Party, spoke on Free North Korea Radio program’s “Hwang Jang Yop’s Democracy Lecture” on the 22nd regarding Kim Jong Il’s illness, saying that “Whether the Army will seize power or the Party will seize it is not an important matter. Even if someone from the Army steps forward to lead, eventually the Party will seize power anyway.”
President Hwang speculated that the issue is about who has the “Political training. Currently, despite the fact that General Political Bureau of the Army exists, the foundation is always the Central Committee of the Party’s Guidance Department. If Kim Jong Il were to die, then the Guidance Department will take charge to discuss who will become the successor”.
“Therefore, it is not necessary to focus on the issue of immediate power since where and who will take over the regime is a completely separate issue” he added.
He also said that, “North Korea’s idealism exists to idolize Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. Even if Kim Jong Il dies and someone else takes over the regime, Kim Jong Il will have attempted to maintain past idealism in order to strengthen the foundation of his own governing principles.
“Since the Korean Workers’ Party also cannot free itself from the reality of being “Kim Jong Il’s Party,” even when Kim Jong Il dies, someone who is related to him will be chosen to lead. In that case, senior Army officials will also agree.”
