"There will be a Stunning Change between End of the Year and Next Spring in N.K "

There are some rumors coming from the North Korean society that between the end of this year to the spring next year something that will stun the world will occur in the North, a Japanese weekly magazine AERA reported on its latest issue.

Citing a source close to North Korea, AERA included an explanation from the North Korea that, “The world will accept the change in a positive way.”

The magazine estimated that, based on forecasts by related official who know well about the North Korean situation, the expected change has high potential to be about the successor of the current North Korean leader Kim Jung-il or about a sweeping economic reforms.

As for the potential successor to Mr.Kim, a family member of him is cited as a potential next leader as the person will carry out the family history of the leadership handing down from Kim Il-sung to Kim Jung-il and so on.

AERA pointed out Kim Jung-chul(22) and Kim Jung-woon(20), both of whom are born between Mr.Kim and his current wife Go Young-hee, as strong potential candidate. It said that Kim Jung-nam, who was born between Mr.Kim and his ex-wife, is left out as he caused a scandal with his illegal entry into Japan two years ago.

Many experts are forecasting, however, that the expected change at the end of this year or the next spring will be about economic reform as Kim Jung-chul and Kim Jung-woon are both still young and as transmission of power would not be well-received outside the North.

It means that we can not leave out the possibility of the North Korean regime pursuing market economy and materialism while occasionally revising its constitution that stipulates socialism, so that it will be able to recognize itself as a `business partner` to the international community.

AERA observed that the North might open up its economy for foreign investment in the form of recognizing `usage rights`, even if it does not allow private land ownership.

parkwj@donga.com