What it is isn’t exactly clear, yet, but something important might be happening in North Korea. Roger Simon writes:
It’s Thursday in Japan and I have received email from Kyoto from Mongai Kome, frequent commenter on this blog. His morning paper (Sankei Shinbun) is reporting anti-regime flyers being posted in over fifty places in North Korea. This public display of disobedience in that benighted country is unprecedented and has been going on for the last month. Here is Mongai:
The most prevalent flyer is called the “sixteen lies” of tyrant Kim and his tyrant father and it takes apart the fundamental myths and propaganda regarding the cult of the Kims and outlines the failings of the regime. Another flyer is based on the thesis that Kim Jong-il killed his father (perhaps some propaganda in and of itself but a brilliant move given the traditions of the Korean culture.)
Here is hoping things happen in twos and in Iran and North Korea justice will be done, and done soon, and done of, by, and for the people there with a little help from friends.From earlier in his email, Mongai means Bush and Rice who he is happy are in office, considering the circumstances.
Roger’s report coincides with this from Reuters:
North Korea seems to be softening its hitherto rigid personality cult around leader Kim Jong-il, experts on the reclusive communist state said Thursday — although they were still unsure why the changes had been made.
Some diplomats in Pyongyang, and other experts in the South with contacts in the North, said this week that portraits of Kim had been removed from some public places, starting as far back as September or even August. Others say little has changed.
In Tokyo, a Japanese news agency said Thursday that North Korean media had dropped the most laudatory references to leader Kim Jong-il in the Korean broadcasts and texts it monitors.
North Korea is one of the places of which it can truly be said that things can only get better. Let’s hope it’s starting to happen.
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