North Korean Puzzle

When I saw the decade in
I thought the world would change
In the blink
Of an eye
--Jesus Jones

The superfast North Korean recap:
+ Earlier this year, there was a massive explosion on a train in NoKo, which coincided with Kim Jong Il's return from China. The explosion was not reported to the outside world and was thought later to be an assassination attempt by one of the 160 or so democracy movements within the country.
+ Recently, news reports have said that the term 'Dear Leader' has been removed from references to Kim
+ In September, Kim Jong-Il's favourite mistress died, sending the hermit loser/leader into hiding. Okay, he's been hiding for a while, but this time he's really hiding.
+ Now the newest reports show that portraits of Kim have been taken down around the country. Previously, Kim's portrait was featured beside his father's in every household (it is the law to have a picture of them both, side by side in every home).

This is significant, because in such cult of personality, these pictures are revered as icons. Apparently, a woman died trying to save a picture of Kim from a house fire earlier this year....and was subsequently 'deified' by the state.
More Links:

-This one for NoKo. --not state affiliated

-And here is the official, but pathetic state news service. The state news from NoKo is always good for a laugh:

U.S. Nuclear War Plot against North Flailed
Pyongyang, November 19 (KCNA) -- The south Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryon) Monday reportedly made public a statement entitled "We sternly denounce the U.S. plot for a nuclear war against the north". It was recently disclosed by media that the United States had worked out long ago in top secrecy a war scenario to invade the north, presupposing the use of nuclear weapons, and staged exercises for a preemptive nuclear attack, the statement said, stressing: The U.S. war maniacs are human butchers and shameless criminals never to be condoned.

If the United States refused to give up its hostile policy toward the DPRK and pushed forward its plan for a nuclear war, Hanchongryon would not pardon it but immediately enter into an all-out death-defying struggle, the statement declared. It urged the U.S. to lend an ear to the warnings of the Korean nation and promptly scrap its plan for a nuclear war against the north and abandon its hard-line policy.

Okay, this is actually pretty tame for this site. Usually, the news service states that NoKo will "destroy the imperialist dogs where they lie and anihilate their capitalist pig allies". As a friend of mine once remarked "Kim Jong Il is so old school bad. He's a ridiculous caricature of cartoon dictator." It would be funny....if he weren't in control of the destiny of so many people.
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Yeah, yeah, I'm quoting Jesus Jones...I can't help that I like that song.