North Korean leader promotes youngest son

The World

Reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has promoted his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, to the rank of general, just one day before a rare meeting of North Korea’s ruling Workers Party. The move added to speculation that Kim Jong-un will take over for his ailing father in the future.

We speak with Charles Armstrong, the director of the Center for Korean Research at Columbia University, about what that succession could mean for the secretive authoritarian state with nuclear ambitions, and for the rest of the world. We also go to Seoul to get the latest from the BBC’s John Sudworth and, later, Mark McDonald of The New York Times.

Less than .05% of listeners will donate. Can we count on you?

Our coverage reaches millions each week, but only a small fraction of listeners contribute to sustain our program. We still need 224 more people to donate $100 or $10/monthly to unlock our $67,000 match. Will you help us get there today?