SOUTH KOREA/JAPAN: Anti-North Korea protesters decounce North's hereditary succession of power.Japan PM calls for solution to North Korea issues

Record ID: 212617

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA/JAPAN: Anti-North Korea protesters decounce North's hereditary succession of power.Japan PM calls for solution to North Korea issues
  • Date: 2nd October 2010
  • Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (OCTOBER 1, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS HOLDING ANTI-PYONGYANG PLACARDS CHANTING VARIOUS OF NORTH KOREAN NATIONAL FLAG AND PHOTOS OF KIM JONG-IL AND KIM JONG-UN PHOTOS ON FIRE (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) ANTI-NORTH KOREA PROTESTER PARK CHAN-SUNG SAYING: "The North appointed this 28-year-old Kim Jong-un as general and vice chairman of the military commission of the party, establishing the dynastic succession to the third generation. We're here because our people along with the International society can never tolerate this." PROTESTER TEARING UP FLAG VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS STAMPING UP PIECE OF FLAG PROTESTER STANDING ON PLACARD ANTI-NORTH KOREA PLACARDS RALLY
  • Embargoed: 17th October 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAB8JUTNT4CWGK3ZSDWFO3F2Y38
  • Story Text: South Korean civic groups held an anti-Pyongyang rally on Friday (October 1) to denounce the North's unveiling that Kim Jong-il's youngest son would be the leader-in-waiting.
    Kim Jong-un was appointed to senior political and military posts in a country whose aspirations to be a nuclear weapons power has worried the outside world for years.
    More than 200 protesters gathered in downtown Seoul to protest against the North's recent political and military appointments.
    Angry protesters burned North Korea's national flag and photos of Kim Jong-il and Jong-un. They also chanted anti-Pyongyang slogans while holding placards reading "Kim Jong-il out. Kim Jong-un out."
    "The North appointed this 28-year-old Kim Jong-un as general and vice chairman of the military commission of the party, establishing the dynastic succession to the third generation. We're here because our people along with the International society can never tolerate this," said Park Chan-sung, the protest leader.
    After months of speculation, the untested Jong-un was this week made second in command to his father at the ruling Workers' Party's powerful Central Military Commission.
    Jong-un, whose existence has been a secret even in North Korea until this week, was also made a general in one of the world's largest armies. He was also appointed a Central Committee member at the biggest political meeting in the impoverished state for 30 years.
    Rising with him were the leader's sister Kyong-hui and her husband, creating a powerful triumvirate ready to take over the family dynasty that has ruled North Korea since its founding after World War Two.
    Kim Jong-il, 68, is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008 although it was difficult to assess his health from the latest photos and video. North Korea's paramount leader has shown no sign of losing his grip on power and was reappointed on Tuesday (September 28) as secretary-general of the Workers' Party.
    A stable succession will be a relief to its economically powerful neighbours -- China, South Korea and Japan -- who worry regime collapse could result in massive refugee flows and possibly descent into civil war.
    In policy speech to parliament in Japan, Japanese Prime minister Naoto Kan vowed to resolve the North Korean issues, and keep an eye on the poltical developments in Pyongyang.
    "As far as North Korea is concerned, we aim for a comprehensive solution to the abduction, nuclear and missile issues and according the Japan- North Korean Pyongyang Declaration I intend to seek to settle our unfortunate past and normalise diplomatic relations," Kan told the Lower House at the start of an extra session of parliament on Friday (October 1).
    "And we intend to monitor carefully the political situation in North Korea," he added.
    Tokyo has pressed Pyongyang to reveal the fate of Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s, a topic that still fuels Japan's public anger, but not much progress has been made in recent years over the feud.
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