So what's up with this?
Since June, at least two additional combat divisions have been camped outside the North Korean capital. No official explanation was given for this troop movement (which required using a lot of scarce fuel.) All is speculation in the north, because intel agencies in South Korea, the United States and China are reluctant to release any solid information, lest they risk exposing the few good sources they have up there. But the current rumors indicate that most of what's going on up north these days is driven by efforts to keep the government going. This is difficult, because supreme leader Kim Jong Il is apparently dying, or at least believes he is. The big problem is that his chosen successor is his youngest son, an able enough young man in his 20s. That's too young for a place like Korea, where people like their leaders elderly. Kim Jong Il is trying to convince his elderly associates to honor his choice of successor, and apparently not everyone is convinced.
Two divisions were moved near the capital? The regime has downgraded its reliance on the army both for national defense and regime security.
So what are two army divisions doing near the capital where they could be a threat to the regime as much as a palace guard? Or have the North Koreans made sure that at least some of the divisions are in better shape and more loyal (like Saddam's Republican Guard Corps) than the rest of the army just for this purpose?
And I'm assuming Kim Jong-Il ordered this move of presumably loyal troops. Is it possible that the army has done this in support of another faction--perhaps even a pro-China model faction (as long as I'm wildly speculating with absolutely no basis in fact)?
Who ordered this? Why are they there? And if called upon to act against or for the regime, will the unit's leaders or their men obey orders? Will these units be given orders to act? What will trigger orders?
North Korea is plagued by woes and shrouded in darkness. We see only the tip of the iceberg.
