He has been described by some analysts as the power behind the throne in North Korea following the death of the “Dear Leader” Kim Jong-il.
But who is Jang Song-taek?
And why does he appear to wield more influence in the Hermit Kingdom than Kim Jong-un, the 27-year-old son of Kim Jong-il and his anointed successor?
There has been some interesting speculation over a possible power struggle between ‘Uncle’ Jang and the heir, Kim Jong-un, fuelled by some contradictory official announcements. However, I noticed that it was the son who was seen first heading across the carpet to his father’s body to lead the state mourning. Ever since the Roman Empire and medieval monarchies, this has been taken as a clear sign of who is taking over.
Lots of politicians and commenters have been asking for a “smooth transition”, and with a nuclear arsenal one can see why, but a better prayer would be for freedom for the people of North Korea from the family and military who have turned a whole country into a concentration camp.