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Strongman vowed to wage war if rocket shot down
5:30 AM Tuesday Jan 10, 2012
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North Korea's new leader Kim Jong Un drives an armoured vehicle in footage shot before his father's death. Photo / AP
North Korea's new leader Kim Jong Un drives an armoured vehicle in footage shot before his father's death. Photo / AP
North Korea's new leader vowed in 2009 to wage war if the country's enemies shot down its long-range rocket, footage aired on state television showed.
The documentary is the second in a week seeking to highlight Kim Jong Un's experience in leading North Korea's 1.2 million-strong military and was aimed at showing that he was in charge of the armed forces long before his father, former leader Kim Jong Il, died of a heart attack last month.
The son, who is in his late 20s, has moved swiftly into the role of "supreme leader" of the people, the ruling Workers' Party and the military despite questions abroad about how easily he could assume power with only a few years of grooming behind him. Kim Jong Il, in contrast, had 20 years of training when his father, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, died of a heart attack in 1994.
Where a North Korea under Kim Jong Un is headed is deemed crucial because the country is locked in a long-running standoff over its nuclear ambitions and is grappling with chronic food shortages. North Korea has tested two atomic devices.
The footage shown on a day believed to be Kim Jong Un's birthday confirmed that he was being groomed as early as 2009 to succeed Kim Jong Il.
The choice of Kim Jong Un as successor among the elder Kim's three known sons was not revealed publicly until state media reported in September 2010 that he had been made a four-star general and a vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party.
The video showed Kim Jong Un shaking hands with officials at a satellite control centre after scientists launched a rocket in April 2009 that stoked regional tensions and earned North Korea international sanctions and condemnation.
"I had decided to wage a real war if the enemies shot down" the rocket, Kim Jong Un was quoted as saying. A voice-over described Kim Jong Il as saying his son was in charge of the military's anti-rocket interception operations at the time.
North Korea has said it successfully sent a satellite into orbit as part of a peaceful bid to develop its space programme.
US and South Korean officials, however, said no satellite or other object reached orbit, and accused the North of using the launch to test its long-range missile technology.
At the time, Japan had threatened to shoot down any debris from the rocket if the launch went awry. US politicians also urged their military to shoot the rocket down.
The video also showed Kim Jong Un navigating a tank, observing fighter jets and firing exercises, and posing for photographs with soldiers. He is shown seated in the tank's cockpit and speaking to officers with the hatch cover open. He later drove it on a snow-covered road as his father watched from a reviewing stand.
For two years, North Koreans were told that Kim Jong Un, who graduated from Kim Il Sung Military University, was a military genius, Pyongyang residents have said.
The documentary said Kim Jong Un had intensified military training, and showed fighter jets tearing through the skies and soldiers jumping out of planes with parachutes and firing multiple-rocket launchers.
It cited Kim Jong Il as saying, "Our general resembles me. ... I sometimes admire his strong belief, resolve and guts."
Kim is also quoted as saying his son has "outstanding [military] strategies and is well-versed in military tactics. ... He is a man of many abilities and the genius among the geniuses."
Another documentary aired a week ago showed Kim Jong Un visiting a premier tank division with strong historical and family ties in the first solo inspection trip made after his father's death.
- AP
Strongman vowed to wage war if rocket shot down
5:30 AM Tuesday Jan 10, 2012
Tweet
North Korea's new leader Kim Jong Un drives an armoured vehicle in footage shot before his father's death. Photo / AP
North Korea's new leader Kim Jong Un drives an armoured vehicle in footage shot before his father's death. Photo / AP
North Korea's new leader vowed in 2009 to wage war if the country's enemies shot down its long-range rocket, footage aired on state television showed.
The documentary is the second in a week seeking to highlight Kim Jong Un's experience in leading North Korea's 1.2 million-strong military and was aimed at showing that he was in charge of the armed forces long before his father, former leader Kim Jong Il, died of a heart attack last month.
The son, who is in his late 20s, has moved swiftly into the role of "supreme leader" of the people, the ruling Workers' Party and the military despite questions abroad about how easily he could assume power with only a few years of grooming behind him. Kim Jong Il, in contrast, had 20 years of training when his father, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, died of a heart attack in 1994.
Where a North Korea under Kim Jong Un is headed is deemed crucial because the country is locked in a long-running standoff over its nuclear ambitions and is grappling with chronic food shortages. North Korea has tested two atomic devices.
The footage shown on a day believed to be Kim Jong Un's birthday confirmed that he was being groomed as early as 2009 to succeed Kim Jong Il.
The choice of Kim Jong Un as successor among the elder Kim's three known sons was not revealed publicly until state media reported in September 2010 that he had been made a four-star general and a vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party.
The video showed Kim Jong Un shaking hands with officials at a satellite control centre after scientists launched a rocket in April 2009 that stoked regional tensions and earned North Korea international sanctions and condemnation.
"I had decided to wage a real war if the enemies shot down" the rocket, Kim Jong Un was quoted as saying. A voice-over described Kim Jong Il as saying his son was in charge of the military's anti-rocket interception operations at the time.
North Korea has said it successfully sent a satellite into orbit as part of a peaceful bid to develop its space programme.
US and South Korean officials, however, said no satellite or other object reached orbit, and accused the North of using the launch to test its long-range missile technology.
At the time, Japan had threatened to shoot down any debris from the rocket if the launch went awry. US politicians also urged their military to shoot the rocket down.
The video also showed Kim Jong Un navigating a tank, observing fighter jets and firing exercises, and posing for photographs with soldiers. He is shown seated in the tank's cockpit and speaking to officers with the hatch cover open. He later drove it on a snow-covered road as his father watched from a reviewing stand.
For two years, North Koreans were told that Kim Jong Un, who graduated from Kim Il Sung Military University, was a military genius, Pyongyang residents have said.
The documentary said Kim Jong Un had intensified military training, and showed fighter jets tearing through the skies and soldiers jumping out of planes with parachutes and firing multiple-rocket launchers.
It cited Kim Jong Il as saying, "Our general resembles me. ... I sometimes admire his strong belief, resolve and guts."
Kim is also quoted as saying his son has "outstanding [military] strategies and is well-versed in military tactics. ... He is a man of many abilities and the genius among the geniuses."
Another documentary aired a week ago showed Kim Jong Un visiting a premier tank division with strong historical and family ties in the first solo inspection trip made after his father's death.
- AP
