Leonid Gusev expresses doubts about Kim Jong-Un keeping power

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sent condolences to Kim Jong-Un, due to the death of North Korean Chairman of the National Defense Commission Kim Jong-Il, the press service of the Kremlin reports.

Kim Jong-Il died on December 17 from a heart attack. His funeral will be held in Pyongyang on December 28 . Kim Jong-Un was announced as his successor.

Leonid Gusev, senior science member of the Institute for International Studies of the Moscow State Institute for International Relations (MGIMO), told Vestnik Kavkaza that the reaction of world stock and currency markets in south-eastern Asia and Russia shows that there are no problems with the power in North Korea. Kim Jong-Un is only aged 27. No one knows whether he will be able to hold on to power. If the generals take his side his chances of keeping control are high.

Gusev expressed doubts about such a scenario. Information received two years ago from Pyongyang did not contribute to clarity. The situation will be clearer in a month. Some believe that Kim Jong-Un may become like Gorbachev for the Soviet Union, because he is young, studied in various states, including Western Europe. He may reform the country. A contrary view says that the generals would not allow him to realize such reforms, due to his youth and inexperience.

Standard & Poor’s said that the rating of South Korea will not be affected by the death of Kim Jong-Il, its rating of foreign and local currencies will stay at "A"/"A-1"  and "A+"/"A-1" respectively.

Moody’s says that the economic basis of South Korea will not be affected.

Standard & Poor’s confirmed the long-term sovereign rating of South Korea at “A” in foreign currency and “A+” in local currency as of December 14.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russian relations with North Korea would not change.

Kim Jong-Un is now the Supreme Leader. His birth date is unknown. He was born in 1982-1984. He studied at the international school of Bern in Switzerland. He studied warfare in the Military University of Kim Il-Sung in 2002.

Kim Jong-Un became Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission at a forum in September 1966. He became a four-star general a day earlier, although he had not served at all.