The death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has raised a number of questions about the future of the totalitarian state, and while it's difficult to predict the future of such an isolated and secretive country, a number of experts weigh in on some important questions.So, who’s in charge?
Officially, Kim Jong-un, the 20-something son of Kim Jong-il, will succeed his father, having been groomed for the position over the past couple years. But his youth and inexperience is not expected to sit well with the military leadership, which has been effectively running the country since Kim had a stroke in 2008.
"They’ll trot him out as the official leader but in practice, the military will pull the strings behind the scenes," Christian Leuprecht, an associate professor in the department of political studies at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., told CBC News.
"I think the key litmus test will be how much are we going to see the new guy in public, what is he going to say, what is he actually going to do. If he doesn't show up in public, doesn' t say much, doesn't do much, it suggests the military leadership is doing its best to keep him in the background or he's very happy to play this obliging role." Read More
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