Kim Jong-un has replaced three military hardliners who are against giving up nukes before next week’s summit with President Trump. This is a great sign that he is serious because it means he was afraid they might stage a coup trying to kill the summit and keeping their nukes.
Kim will likely ask for protection from a coup. That would be in our best interests too since if he is deposed North Korea will continue with their nuclear weapons program. Just the fear of US involvement could head off any attempt to remove Kim from power. In the meantime, it offers a glimmer of hope that we can make this happen.
Kim Jong-un wants to build up his country’s economy, which is probably needed to fill the government coffers but would still be quite beneficial to all North Koreans who are willing to work. Other counties such as Japan would be more than happy to help should North Korea give up their nuclear program.
“No Kwang-chol, first vice minister of the Ministry of People’s Armed Forces, replaced Pak Yong-sik as defense chief, while Ri Myong-su, chief of the (Korean People’s Army) general staff, was replaced by his deputy, Ri Yong-gil,” Yonhap reported.
“These changes are in addition to Army Gen. Kim Su-Gil’s replacement of Kim Jong-gak as director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People’s Army. The replacement was confirmed in a North Korean state media report last month.”
Japanese media reported that its sources said the reshuffle had something to do with the fact that “the previous officials lacked flexibility in thinking,” and that “(i)n particular, No Kwang-Chol has been classified as a moderate person.”
Kim is now in a position where he must get a deal and a good one before he gives up his weapons. And if the United States agrees to back him up in case of a coup attempt where his nuclear weapons would be useless, that might just tip the scales and give us a real peace. But be warned, we have a long way to go before we get there.