Via a reader tip comes the below news that a close aid of Kim Jong-un has died in a car accident. Considering Kim Jong-il’s recent track record it makes me wonder if this was really an accident or not? However, the North Korean state media “closest comrade-in-arms and steadfast revolutionary comrade” and he was given a state funeral. If Kim Jong-un wanted Kim Yang-gon dead maybe he is now doing it in a way that doesn’t bring negative international media attention? Either that or it really was just a car accident:
A senior North Korean ruling party official and a top aide to leader Kim Jong Un has died in a car accident, the state news agency reported on Wednesday, in the latest event to hit the close circle of deputies of the country’s leader.
Kim Yang Gon, who was a secretary of the Workers’ Party and the head of its United Front Department, the unit that handles the North’s ties with South Korea, was Kim Jong Un’s “closest comrade, a solid revolutionary partner,” KCNA said.
Kim as the top official managing ties with the South was part of a high-level delegation that held talks in August after the rival states exchanged artillery fire, raising tensions to one of its highest points in recent years.
Those talks produced an agreement that ended the standoff and for the two sides to work to hold more discussions to improve ties.
KCNA said Kim died on Tuesday in an automobile accident at the age of 73. It gave no details of the accident. [Reuters]
