Kim Picks North Korean Successor

Of course, it stays in the family. The surprise is that he chose his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, who is age 26.

Kim Jong-un is the third son of Kim Jong Il, the "Dear Leader" who suffered a stroke last summer and who has since appeared thin and frail. He is the grandson of the late Kim Il Sung, the "Great Leader" and founding dictator of North Korea.

If Kim Jong-un does become the new leader -- and there are analysts who doubt the decision is final -- this second consecutive father-to-son hand off would be unique among nations that call themselves communist. There was no indication, however, that Kim Jong Il would be handing over power any time soon.

Kim Jong-un attended the International School of Berne, which is about 15 minutes outside the Swiss capital and a few hundred yards from the North Korean embassy. While Kim was at the English-language school, which has about 280 students from 40 countries, he befriended the children of American diplomats and learned French and German, according to the Swiss weekly, L'Hebdo.

The North Korean regime may practice communism, but it is a totalitarian dictatorship. It is also a cult of personality, where all power is centered on the leader. Kim Il Sung founded this regime, and modeled it after his own personality, accumulating the power and his word was final. When he died, his son assumed the mantle, and Kim Jong Il has ruled with an iron fist ever since, and has greatly expanded the regime's military capabilities, including missile technologies and nuclear technologies. That came at a terrible price, as the country has been repeatedly hit with famine and an inability to feed itself or provide power for its inhabitants.

While Jong may have had the Western influences, it remains to be seen whether he carries on his family's disastrous legacy or charts a new path. Even more important, it remains to be seen whether the military follows along with Kim's wishes and allows his son to take power.

I suspect that the past few weeks of missile tests and nuclear test were a way to prepare the diplomatic front for the new leadership. By repeatedly testing the West and the US in specific, North Korea was trying to see what it could get away with without incurring any actual penalties. Claiming the 1953 armistice was at an end is further evidence that the regime wants to see what it can get away with.