US Suspects N Korea Regime Shift

American officials believe North Korea’s increasingly hostile foreign policy is the result of a power shift quietly taking place in the secretive nation, the Wall Street Journal reports. Analysts note that North Korea withdrew from nuclear talks shortly after Kim Jong Il’s suspected stroke, and say the leader’s brother-in-law and third son are emerging as key players in the country’s new power structure.

Kim's brother-in-law, who was given a seat on North Korea's National Defense Commission, is seen as a potential successor if one is needed in the short term. Longer term, he may act as a "regent" to guide one of Kim's sons into the supreme leadership and protect the family's interests.
(More Kim Jong Il stories.)