Asia-Pacific

Experts rule out DPRK 'succession crisis'

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-09-14 11:07

TIANJIN - The possibility of the so called "succession crisis" in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) could be ruled out, leading experts on the Korean Peninsula said at the fourth Summer Davos on Monday.

During a session open to international media on what if there is a "succession crisis" in DPRK, leading experts on the Korean Peninsula from China, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan agreed that the hypothetical question raised by some people from the international community is "inconceivable."

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It's not about a new leader, but "a new leadership structure," said Yang Xiyu, a senior fellow at China Institute of International Studies.

By a decision announced by the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in June, the WPK will hold a conference to elect its highest leading body.

According to the charter of the WPK, delegates will discuss and decide the policies and personnel changes of the party during the WPK conference.

Kim Jong-il, top leader of the party, was unanimously elected a delegate at a meeting of the Korean People's Army and WPK on August 25.

Yang also said that the DPRK leadership is full of confidence, adding that the country has recently expressed its willingness to return to the six-party talks.

On the unification of the Korean Peninsula, they believed that the DPRK and ROK should play a major part in this process, while other parties concerned should support their integration.

However, they agreed the integration of the Korean Peninsula still has a long way to go. The way in which West and East Germany unified might not work in this case, said Moon Chung-In, a professor of Political Science at ROK's Yonsei University.

The World Economic Forum's (WEF) Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2010, also known as the fourth Summer Davos Forum, is being held on September 13-15 in north China's Tianjin city.

Forum topics not only include hot fields in world economic development and business trends, but also cover wider issues of global importance on politics, military affairs, security and social development, among others.