Andrei Lankov

Why is Kim Jong Un unlikely to name a successor anytime soon? In my latest, @rpcward89 and I delve into what @TheEconomist's @schipperlena pointed out to Peter before: that Kim may have Shakespeare's King Lear on his mind: https://t.co/HjnXUxOLBQ

Interesting.

NK NEWS @nknewsorg

And his wrist? This photo shows Kim in his last appearance at a Politburo meeting on April 11 and at the Sunchon factory on May 1. Medical professionals who assessed the footage on Saturday said it may be related to a cardiovascular procedure: https://t.co/yOFknrvJsq https://t.co/FZhOdJgKva

Now that this Great Kim Jong Un panic of April 2020 is over...My take on how the future of reporting on the DPRK will change...or not: https://t.co/OHbA44MDgO

RT @nknewsorg: “First of all, we have to be very careful about all these kinds of rumors...He might indeed be sick, but despite his weight,…

Yes, Kim Yo Jong has become one of the most trusted members of the DPRK inner circle, with many admirers. But history shows that every ruler of the Kim family relied on a sibling to work on important missions. So far, things have ended badly for them: https://t.co/smqspkixsr

Anna Fifield @annafifield

She's a woman (gasp) but the only Kim family member who could even possibly take over the reigns from Kim Jong Un is his little sister, Kim Yo Jong. She's risen up the ranks and has taken on an increasingly high public profile in the last two years: https://t.co/72KfP92P0N

Twitter just went through a whirlwind on Kim Jong Un's health condition. But things appear to be normal in the DPRK--for now. As we wait for further confirmation, I found myself reading this contingency plan my colleague wrote should Jong Un really die: https://t.co/Am1vFeTnll

Despite its strength in quarantine and control, defenses will break and the DPRK may experience a full-scale coronavirus outbreak causing serious political and economic results. But the regime is also designed in a way to help cushion the coming blow: https://t.co/kSwubWWeOw

It's been 50 years since the Yodo plane hijacking, a bizarre story even by North Korean standards. My latest for @nknewsorg digs into the Japanese Red Army behind the hijacking, the ensuing great wife hunt, and the Yodo group that remained in the DPRK. https://t.co/xABpIPo615

In February, the Korea Hana Foundation released the 2020 report on the current conditions of North Korean refugees residing in the South. In my latest piece for @nknewsorg, I lay out some of the key findings: https://t.co/wboKECzp0N

Recently, I've been asked many times: “But the North Korean healthcare system is poorly equipped to deal with the coronavirus outbreak, isn’t it?” No, it is not! Yes, there are obvious shortcomings. But here's why the public health system works so well: https://t.co/mjIAFvqXtF https://t.co/HU3VSjTAgn

RT @nknewsorg: With a large number of doctors in the population and the ability to strictly enforce quarantine measures, North Korea's publ…

Sanctions won’t turn North Koreans against Kim Jong Un any time soon. The elite have too much to lose, & the common people are too repressed to rise up. One shouldn't entertain unrealistic expectations about how much Pyongyang will give up under pressure. https://t.co/ol6PWs75Og

The death of Soleimani "demonstrated that the world has underestimated Trump’s desire to take risks," says @andreilankov. It reminded DPRK that "excessively risky behavior might result in a U.S. drone quietly approaching... targets in Pyongyang suburbs." https://t.co/LlKEU4NKWu

Andrei Lankov @andreilankov

The death of Soleimani might be seen as a sign that the U.S. is now willing and capable of drone-hunting those they see as their enemies. In North Korea, Kim Jong Un and 3-4 people very close to him are likely to see this as a danger. My latest @nknewsorg https://t.co/sZXPpoPtdV

The death of Soleimani might be seen as a sign that the U.S. is now willing and capable of drone-hunting those they see as their enemies. In North Korea, Kim Jong Un and 3-4 people very close to him are likely to see this as a danger. My latest @nknewsorg https://t.co/sZXPpoPtdV

Pyongyang signaled what is, essentially, their old line. They'll make carefully calculated steps to increase the level of tensions, but only within reasonable limits. They still want a deal, and are reluctant to go too far. For the time being, at least. https://t.co/hHHTmBFQ5p

Today for @nknewsorg I discuss Soviet perceptions of North Korea in the 1970s. They did not like Kim Il Sung’s North Korea & knew they were taken advantage of, but they understood that they would have to live next to it for the years and decades to come. https://t.co/OdBNP9jsuU

In South Korea, the progressives may be naïve about North Korea, but the conservative policies will likely only lead to increasing tensions. However, it seems there is little if any hope of either side moderating its approach. My latest @nknewsorg- https://t.co/6Repp1JhoI