Today they’re celebrating the anniversary of the birth of their nation in North Korea. They’ve lasted a lot longer than most people had any reason to hope they would. And their leaders tended to have a longer lifespan.
Most of you will recall that hasn’t been precisely the case in South Korea. But it’s more difficult for the CIA to get into North Korea to assassinate their top guys. When the CIA assassinated Park Chung Hee,first president of South Korea, and Diem, president of South Vietnam, the guys in North Korea took it as an object lesson. Kept their heads down and a sharp eye out for anyone who might pass as a CIA operative.
Worked fairly well, too. They managed to stay alive all this time. Beats hell out of being an ally of the US and having to get offed for your trouble.
Old Jules
So Far From Heaven 