Park Jie-won: "Kim Jong Un’s heart must have sunk over Khamenei’s killing, but his confidence will remain"

[The Financial News] Despite the killing of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei by the United States of America (USA), Park Jie-won of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) predicted that Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) leader Kim Jong Un would still be brimming with confidence.
In a radio interview on the MBC program "Jongbae Kim's Focus" on the morning of the 2nd, Park was asked by the host what he thought Kim Jong Un’s reaction would be as he watched Ali Khamenei being killed in a bombing. He replied, "His heart must have sunk."
At the same time, Park suggested that from Kim Jong Un’s perspective, he is likely thinking, "North Korea is different from Iran," or "North Korea already possesses nuclear weapons, so no one can attack us," and that he remains confident for that reason.
Earlier, the USA, acting together with the State of Israel, carried out a sudden airstrike that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
According to foreign media reports, the USA and the State of Israel executed operations they respectively named "Great Fury" and "Roar of the Lion" on the 28th of last month, local time. They simultaneously bombed three facilities, including sites in the Iranian capital Tehran where the country’s top leadership had gathered.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced via the social media platform Truth Social that Ali Khamenei had been killed in the bombing. The Iranian authorities also confirmed Khamenei’s death through state television and declared a 40-day mourning period.
With Khamenei’s 37-year iron-fisted rule ending overnight, experts say the situation assessment in North Korea is likely to become far more serious.
They point to the USA’s extremely hard-line move of striking a nuclear-capable Islamic Republic of Iran and eliminating its Supreme Leader, in contrast to its approach toward the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. If Trump again proposes dialogue, Kim Jong Un’s calculations could become more complicated, they argue.
Some observers also contend that the USA’s removal of Ali Khamenei has sent North Korea a clear message: Washington is willing to take the most extreme measures, including targeting the very top leadership, to preempt what it sees as a real nuclear threat.


hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter