Kim Jong Il dies in an elevator accident- a collaborative timeline

This is a collaborative timeline, based on the premise that Kim Jong Il, one day, was busy inspecting a new apartment tower in Pyongyang when the elevator cord (yes, there are measures to prevent this from happening, but let's say North Korean engineering and construction is very shoddy) snaps. Feel free to add, but NO non-stop assassinations like in a few other collaborative timelines.

April 5th, 1995


CNN Headline News

We have unconfirmed reports from North Korea that the newly minted "Dear Leader", Kim Jong Il, has died. Stay tuned for further developments.
 
April 6th, 1995: Reports surface that a succession crisis between Kim Kyong-hui, Kim Jong Il's sister and close advisor, Kim Jong-nam, Kim Joing Il's eldest son, and Choe Kwang, Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's party, has developed. South Korea says that there are intense street battles and that it is monitoring the situation closely
 
April 7, 1995: (Peter Jennings) "The US military forces deployed to South Korea have been placed on alert as Russian ships approach North Korean waters. With the Chinese build-up along the North Korean border, and the South Korean army already on alert, five nations are now involved in the on-going North Korean succession crisis. The White House has issued a statement declaring the alert a 'precaution' due to the Russian and Chinese actions, declining to comment on reports that South Korea had requested the step-up in security of the US forces."
 
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April 7, 1995: (Peter Jennings) "The US military forces deployed to South Korea have been placed on alert as Soviet ships approach North Korean waters. With the Chinese build-up along the North Korean border, and the South Korean army already on alert, five nations are now involved in the on-going North Korean succession crisis. The White House has issued a statement declaring the alert a 'precaution' due to the Soviet and Chinese actions, declining to comment on reports that South Korea had requested the step-up in security of the US forces."

Soviet Union was gone by '95. I do see China getting involved however, I don't know whether China would be willing to support North Korea militarily and economically at this time.
 
Editing to change to Russian, you eagle-eyed editor.

China and Russia are just watching.....for now. Just like everybody else.
 
April 8th, 1995: (Associated Press) The Korean Central News Agency, after three days of silence, has finally announced the death of Dear Leader Kim Jong Il. There has been no acknowledgment of the fighting ongoing in the capital, although there were statements that Kim Kyong-Hui and Kim Jong Nam have assumed temporary duumvirate leadership over the country until a successor can be determined. Meanwhile, radio broadcasts have been coming from the northeastern city of Hamhung, where Marshal Choe Kwang of the People's Korean Army claims to be in control, alleging that the Kim family were traitors to the nation and were leading it to disaster by planning on forming a detente with the "capitalist pigs" in the South.

 
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