May you live in interesting times.... US troops leaving Iraq just in time?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16239693

And for those who may think "so what?"

This will be a big hit to the global porn and cognac industries!

Damn, natural causes got to him before Team America

No natural causes, from DPRK TV: Kim Jong-il died of over-work en route to giving "field guidance."

There you go... over-work. Y'all think about that next time you're complaining about having to work too hard!

http://www.smh.com.au/world/kim-jong...219-1p1sk.html

How can you die by riding in a train? Guess he's had enough of looking at things now.

Let the 5 years of world wide mourning commence (the world was in morning for 10 years after Kim Il Sung died according to North Korean reports). Funeral will be on the 28th.

Everybody knows that the US never attacks countries that DO have WMDs...

Little is known about the son he picked to take over, but he prepared the country for two years for this event, so he was probably aware of his health issues. It's some young guy in his late 20s. Since we don't know if he is just another idiotic hardliner who could not care that his people are starving or maybe a visionary leading his country out of poverty, who knows whats next?
I just guess that nobody will really miss Kim Jong Il and that his son would have a hard time to be worse than him to his people. While outdated is their arsenal massive (for example the 3rd largest in terms of chemical weapons...) and they were in the past regularly mad enough to be the ones who would start a war.
All I hope for is that any change that might happen will do so peacefully. If they would follow the example of China could the country within 20 years go from pre-industrialized all the way to one of the richer Asian states...

The son ( Kim Jong-un ) speaks English and German, and was educated at the Bern International School right here in Switzerland ( EF member perhaps ? ).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8081500.stm

Ok, so nothing will change particularly fast then...

I wonder if groaning and use of red blobbies will now be made a crime in North Korea?

Cheers,
Nick

No, the family will still keep their money and gold here.....just in case.

Took a long good look in my wardrobe this morning but couldn't find a black armband to symbolize my grief.

Never mind, I'm sure it will turn up before the next tyrant leaves the planet for good.

Really a pity that such a big sportsman has died.

http://www.oobgolf.com/content/fore+...the_World.html

Is it the same one that was picked up by the Japanese after having visited Tokyo Disneyland on a false passport? If yes, there is hope yet.....

His death will certainly change the Korean peninsula. To quote:

"Kim Jong Il: Now you see, the changing of the worrd is inevitabre!
Lisa: I'm sorry, it's what?
Kim Jong Il: Inevit, inevitabre.
Lisa: One more time.
Kim Jong Il: [shouts] Inevitabre! Things are inevitabrey going to change! Goddamnit, open your ears!"

is he changing his name to Kim Jong Dead?

Avatar changed accordingly

cheers
SC

Did someone say that the leader of China's reserve army cut his teeth in EF ?

God help us all !

Nope, that was a different one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Jong-nam

Quite a model-family, apparently ;-)

Apparently his son has lived in... Switzerland! Went to school there.

A friend of mine teaches at BIS. Apparently, they were told he was the son of a N. Korean diplomat.