Something is happening in North Korea; exactly what that something might be is unclear. Hat tip to Steven Hayward of Power Line for the link to a Daily Mail story which reports:
A former North Korean counter-intelligence officer has claimed that Kim Jong-Un is no longer in control of the nation and is now just a 'puppet leader'.Meanwhile, a delegation of North Korean high officials made a surprise visit to South Korea, see the ABC News story:
The capital, Pyongyang, meanwhile, has been placed into lockdown with even the elite banned from entering or leaving, according to a respected news site.
Kim, who is 31 and frequently the centerpiece of the state propaganda machine, has not been photographed by official media since appearing at a concert alongside his wife on September 3.
Pyongyang's 11-member delegation was led by Hwang Pyong So, 66, who - with five promotions this year alone - has become the second most powerful official after Kim. He is the top political officer for the Korean People's Army, the vice chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission and the vice marshal of the army.There is talk Kim has broken ankles and can't get around. Other rumors have his sister making the day-to-day decisions.
The delegation also included Choe Ryong-hae, who had been the North's second most powerful official until Hwang replaced him, and Kim Yang-gon, a top Communist Party official who had orchestrated numerous North-South high level talks in the past.
