North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il is dead. He leaves behind an inexperienced twentysomething son as his successor, as well as nervous questions about the future of the violent Stalinist regime. But can anyone truly replace the Dear Leader?

It'll be a tough job for anyone trying to fill his platform shoes. Kim consistently frustrated adversaries and allies alike with his mercurial ways. He tested nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in bids to shake down the United States for aid. He sold dangerous weapons tech to whichever rogue regime was buying. And toward the end of his life, he brought...