Friedman commented on the recent public reappearance of Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, after 40 days of seclusion, "It proved again how mysterious North Korea is to the world." "It may be that the latest disappearance was designed to test who comes out in the open to take power in the absence of the supreme leader," he added. It means that Kim intentionally created the situation to filter out anti-regime forces opposing his rule.

 

In a special speech held after the opening ceremony of the forum, he stressed the importance of entrepreneurship. Friedman said, "Running an enterprise is more important in seeking social common good than pursuing profit." He explained this with examples from his own experience of running his own firm since 1996 after leaving a professor job in a university.

 

He also mentioned the latest trend in China and said the country might undergo fragmentation by 2020 under immense pressure from its people. He also emphasized that the world's investors must pay attention to so-called "Post China 16," the 16 nations in the world that will emerge after China's high growth phase is passed, including Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kenya, Cambodia, Mexico, and Tanzania.

 

By Kim Min-ji(mjkim@koreaittimes.com)