By Michael Ha
Staff Reporter
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's health has taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks, but there is hardly any sign of political turmoil or power struggle within Pyongyang to challenge Kim's hold on power, according to a senior U.N. official who recently visited the communist country.
According to Japan's Kyodo News Agency Tuesday, Koichiro Matsuura, director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), visited Pyongyang last week, from Sept. 10-12.
During his travel, Matsuura met with Kim Yong-nam, North Korea's second in command and chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly, to discuss UNESCO's cultural and educational initiatives, according to Kyodo.
The report quoted Matsuura as saying that ``there doesn't appear to be much behind-the-scenes political activities" related to Kim's health problems.
U.S.-based newspaper, the Washington Times, also reported over the weekend that Kim will most likely be able to maintain the status quo.
The report quoted senior U.S. intelligence officials as saying that Kim's sickness probably would not disrupt internal politics in a regime already accustomed to a poor economy and isolation.
According to the U.S. paper, officials in the North Korean military and the communist Workers' Party might jointly manage state affairs if Kim is incapacitated.
The report added that the North Korean leader has been battling health problems ``for months" before suffering an apparent stroke in August and that Kim has already delegated most day-to-day responsibilities to subordinates.
These senior officials are following policies that Kim would have pursued, according to the report. And although political instability is still a possibility in the regime, it is not likely ``because he's been ill for quite a while and other high-ranking party members are in control."
In Germany, daily newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung cautioned that while Kim's leadership appears to be holding up, there is always a possibility that the regime could collapse at any given time.
For now, Kim seems to be able to maintain order in his regime, according to the German newspaper. But the report added that considering how the old communist governments in Eastern Europe fell apart during the late 20th century, observers should keep in mind that Kim's regime could also collapse with little advance warning.
The German newspaper also said the Chinese government might get involved in North Korea's internal politics should chaos erupt in Pyongyang. A sudden collapse of the North Korean regime could trigger a flood of refugees crossing over to Chinese territory.
Another possibility is that the regime's collapse could lead to an eventual unification of the two Koreas, according to the report. ``But for Beijing, that would mean having a strong U.S. ally right at its border. The Chinese government would not want to allow that."