Kim Jong-il Rumored Near Death, Gets Statue

(North Korea) The North Korean People's Army newspaper has published photos of a bronze statue of Dear Leader Kim Jong-il on the top of Mount Baekdu.

The statue is significant since Dear Leader has previously refused to allow his likeness to be erected as it would symbolize the end of his regime. As such, it's speculated that he must be close to death.

"This statue means that Kim Jong-Il is passing into history and legend in North Korea and I'm more convinced than ever that his successor will be announced soon," said Professor Toshimitsu Shigemura, an expert on North Korean politics at Tokyo's Waseda University.

"A strong trait of Confucianism still runs through Korean society and it would run counter to that to erect a statue in one's own likeness while you were still leader," he said.

At 69, Dear Leader suffers from a host of medical problems so he may not last much longer. A meeting of ruling party leaders scheduled for September is expected to officially name Dear Leader's third son, Kim Jong-Un, as North Korea's new Dear Leader.