Sunday, October 05, 2014

Something Alarming

North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, is "under lockdown" as the authorities do ... something.

Something that alarms North Korea's ruling elite is happening:

"This sort of action suggests there has either been an attempted coup or that the authorities there have uncovered some sort of plot against the leadership," North Korean expert Toshimitsu Shigemura, a professor at Waseda University in Tokyo, told the Telegraph in a story published Friday.

Or it could be some defection attempt by someone important or a purge that would eliminate potential sources of a coup.

If the latter, I'd guess pro-Chinese elements in the elite who want to follow China's path are being rounded up.

But we still don't know what the "something" that is happening in North Korea is.

UPDATE: North Korea denies anything is amiss--politically or health-wise. Apparently a big Commie-fest on Friday will be the thing to watch for The Un:

A key indicator will come on Friday when the North celebrates the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party.

"That is a big event, and even if Kim is in some discomfort, he will make sure he is seen to attend," said Michael Madden, editor of the independent website North Korea Leadership Watch.

"If he doesn't, the alarm bells will really start ringing," Madden said.

So we wait and see.