Emergency Sessions to Create Measures [30-12-2011]
The nation’s parliament held an emergency meeting to discuss the aftermath of the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Various committees got together to come up with measures to cope with the North’s current leadership crisis. It was announced last week by the North’s state media that the 69-year-old Kim passed away due to heart failure. Immediately after the announcement, the nation’s military was placed on high alert, and the foreign ministry placed its overseas diplomatic missions on emergency standby.

Soon after the announcement of the leader’s death, floor members from both the ruling and main opposition parties summoned special sessions of committees to handle foreign affairs, trade and unification, national defense and intelligence with the help of senior government officials. The ruling Grand National Party and the main opposition Democratic Party will be holding more special sessions aimed at creating parliamentary level measures and strategies to minimize possible aftereffects on the Korean peninsula.

The nation’s spy agencies came under fire for failing to discover the secretive leader’s death. Sources have confirmed that President Lee Myung-bak had been in the dark until Pyongyang broke the news to the world two days after it occurred. Furthermore, the defense minister was in a briefing session in parliament when the announcement from the North was made.

The world is closely watching the upcoming power transition and possible political power struggle in the North. Kim’s heir, Kim Jong-un, thought to be in his late 20s, is expected to lead the impoverished communist country. Questions are in the air as it is uncertain whether the youngest son can retain power and manage the North’s ravaged economy to avoid a complete collapse.
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