Kim's death shows N Korea's tight grip on news

what do they expect from Hermit Regime? However, it's very likely that US was not in dark about Kim's death.

What does those 'conservative'south Koreans expect their government can do if their so called intelligences could predict the demise of Kim Jon Il? Send troops across the 38th parallel and get back pyonyang? Even there is an 'emergency' happens, what the entire RoK can do is sitting idle in front of TV watching what the Chinese army is going 'to do' above the 38th parallel! There is no more no longer the Korean lands!

There is only one solution for the problem of NK that is the unification of Koreas. Japan can support SK with money for Unification. That will be much less than the money Japan spend for defence in the name of NK. If no unification China will play the game by using NK aganist Japan.

However, it's very likely that US was not in dark about Kim's death

Why? If the US had known then the information would have been leaked within hours and shown on CNN.

The guy died months ago according to the CIA, that figure looked like it was made out of cardboard in that box, notice no close ups.

Agreed with gogogo. No reason to believe the state media when they say it was last Saturday.

This was traditionally done in Japan too. The death of the Emperor was announced weeks after the event; in the meantime they made sure that there would be no problems of succession. When everything had been ironed out, the death would be announced.

In fact I read an announcement of his death in the news on a Chinese(?) Taiwanese (?) site a few weeks ago, and I am still wracking my few remaining brain cells trying to remember where it was reported.

Perhaps that one was the real death?

The world is now witnessing how tight control and brainwashing N.Korea all about. Remember the fate of Saddam Hussein statue, similar will happen in N.Korea; it is just a matter of time. For next time, it will be the tears of joy and not coercion and brainwashed.

For the best news on the on-the-ground situation in North Korea, I highly recommend DailyNK.com. It didn't prognosis Kim's death, either (and I've mentioned before that the timing is so good as to be too curious), but if you want to know the price of cornmeal or the situation in the jangmadang, it is the place to go.

visitors to the country are typically closely monitored and not permitted to stray from the capital.

Except for all the tours (like the one I went on) that go to other places around the country.

Need more spies.

The videogame "Homefront" knew about this well in advance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xnnk9RuajI#t=57s

Laguna, I am sure this DailyN.com is where the CIA etc..go to get their info about what is happening there in the DPRK, right?? Anyway, old North Korean dictator dude, try to RIP??

Realmind, I think CHina never wants to let the Koreans UNITE, they are afraid of a united KOREA and they are afraid of not having a nutty country like North Korea to have there to help scare Japan, South Korea, to some extent the USA, China NEEDS North Korea, it is a proxy state of Beijing, to use as it pleases, IMHO.