UNCLE CHANG

There are very few people outside the country who really know what goes on in North Korea. However, one thing is certain; the political fall and subsequent execution of Chang Song-thaek will require analysts to have a rethink.

Mr. Chang was a big cheese. His position was due in part to his marriage to Kim Kyung-Hee, daughter of North Korea's founding President, younger sister to his successor and aunt to the current leader Kim Jong-Un. At the funeral of Mr. Kim's father, Mr. Chang acompanied the coffin behind Mr. Kim, thereby signalling his importance. Given his powerful jobs in both the previous and current regimes, he was sidely seen as the power behind the throne, guiding the the inexperienced Mr. Kim as the latter consolidated his leadership.

All of that must now be reevaluated, as Mr. Chang was brutally eliminated. First, he was publicly arrested at a party meeting. Then he was put on trial, convicted, and executed almost immediately. State media described him in terms more usually associated with Maoist China; "worse than a dog" and "despicable scum" were some of the descriptions.

Outsiders will now spend the next few months poring over scraps of data, trying to figure out what is going on. My advice is not to bother; as I said before, the North Korean government is barmy. This latest episode confirms it.

Walter Blotscher