this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2024
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[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 37 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (3 children)

I don't know that I buy 'just an accident'.

I'm not stupid enough to think that it was necessarily Russia, though. But seriously, how many people die randomly swimming. Particularly when they probably have some security standing on their every move?

[–] systemglitch@lemmy.world 20 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Ask yourself how many North Koreans learn to swim well. This might be something he didn't get a lot of experience with before leaving his homeland.

[–] jaybone@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago

Ask yourself how many North Koreans learn to swim well.

The ones who don’t live there anymore?

[–] gnutrino@programming.dev 18 points 3 months ago (3 children)

It's quite possible that he had taken the opportunity of being in a country with easier access to alcohol and drugs to go on a bender and ended up drowned. Remember Yeltsin standing outside the white house in his underwear pissed out of his gourd trying to hail a taxi to get pizza?

[–] samus12345@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Standing outside in your underwear drunk while hailing a taxi to get pizza sounds like a super American thing to do. He was really going for the true American experience!

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Pretty sure that was before my time.

I don’t suppose you have a video? Asking for a friend…

Though, again, their security detail is total shit if they let a drunken slob get that pissed and drown.

Delegations going abroad don't get to go without an escort. especially from countries where the risk of defection is insanely high.

[–] curbstickle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

It happened in the late 90's, but wasn't revealed until about 2008 or 2009 (a year or two after Boris Yeltsin died). No, there is no video, at least none any of us would have access to.

He was the President at the time.

[–] jaybone@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I never heard this. But I’m surprised his security didn’t stop this. And just send someone out to get a pizza for him.

[–] curbstickle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Agents stopped him, but I'd remind that this was not that long after the USSR was dissolved, and he was apparently fairly skilled (even drunk) at evading his own security detail.

It happened multiple times during the same trip iirc, and agents did get him pizza.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 3 points 3 months ago

I'm just imagining him climbing out of a bathroom window and sliding down a drain pipe, while screaming, "none of you understand me I hate all of you!"

[–] jj4211@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago (2 children)

A lot of people die randomly swimming. Just last week someone drowned in the river near me, and a few months back, there was a drowning in a lake. Both involved alcohol.

I just don't see why drown the NK envoy.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

My present speculation, if it wasn’t an accident, was that he was trying to defect/escape NK.

Russia isn’t the only place to use political executions.

Alternatively, it could have been a western state- Ukraine features high (if they have the capability?) specifically to impose some strain on relations.

We’ll prolly never know what really happened.

[–] alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 months ago

I mean yes random people drown a lot, but it's also how the CIA (allegedly) assassinated the PM of Australia during the 60s, after he was insufficiently supportive of the Vietnam War.