It appears the "Dear Son" is back in favor with the "Dear Leader":
The eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-nam (36) has returned to Pyongyang and is working at the Organization and Guidance Department of North Korea’s Worker’s Party, an intelligence source said Sunday. The department is the key agency that controls all of the party, the military and the government of North Korea. This has prompted analysts to speculate about a reconciliation and the possibility that Jopng-nam, who has been living in exile in Macau, could inherit the leadership instead of his younger half-brothers Jong-chul (26) and Jong-woon (24), who were variously tipped for the succession. [Chosun Ilbo]
This is probably a good assumption since Kim Jong-nam was given such an important government position. Holding this position is probably a test of Kim Jong-nam’s worthiness to succeed his father. If he does a good job he will probably be tapped as his successor. One thing is for certain, Kim Jong-il is no longer the fattest man in North Korea.
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11:11 am on August 28th, 2007 1
The Prodigal Son returns. He may indeed be tapped to be the next, what, [insert insincere but flattering adjective] Leader. But I have doubts about that transition going as smoothly as KJI’s.
New fat man in Korea, heh.
11:30 am on August 28th, 2007 2
I think this is just a test to evaluate his worthiness as a successor to Kim Jong-il. If he does well then he is the logical choice to replace his father because a blood relative needs to take over in order to keep the Kim mythology alive that legitimizes their rule in North Korea.
If he fails miserably at this current position I would not be surprised if he ends up in a freakish car accident and one of his younger brothers is than groomed to succeed Kim Jong-il.
11:40 am on August 28th, 2007 3
I agree about the evaluation phase.
From what I’ve been reading lately, I get the feeling that almost no matter what the Kim family cult won’t be able to survive the transition; too much outside information (“impure elements” - realization that outside is better, ROK media, etc.) since the mid-1990s. Might not be chaos when Kim finally croaks, but I think the cult will have to undergo some major Jucheing to shoehorn it into any succession.
11:42 am on August 28th, 2007 4
Kim Jong-Nam is ready to assume his role. That crap about a family split because of a botched disneyland trip was all sourced from Japanese tabloid speculation anyway. I put up a post at koreanunification.net that lays out four key reasons why Kim Jong Nam will be the next in line… and trust me, we’ll see him assume the leadership soon enough…
9:53 pm on August 28th, 2007 5
While I agree that the signs indicate that Kim Jong-nam is indeed being reevaluated for a future leadership role, there is not enough evidence to make a definite conclusion. It should also be noted that such decisions are notoriously reversible in North Korea, often with unpleasant outcomes for those involved.
Reports indicating the Disneyland fiasco caused his following loss of status may be true or not, but there was in fact a loss in status in the early 2000s not long after that event. The death of his mother, Sung Hye-rim, in 2002 and the loss of her influence on Kim Jong-il is also an important factor, among others.
Unless you have human or signals intelligence to back that up, and some way of knowing such a decision won’t be reversed, you’re going far, far out on a limb with that assertion. Better to make qualified statements (“likely,” “probably,” etc.), since those are much more accurate in this case.
11:54 pm on August 28th, 2007 6
The return of the prodigal son…
Kim Jong-iL’s son Jong-nam has returned to Pyongyang. Is there enough room for two fat men in the ROK?…
12:39 am on August 29th, 2007 7
[...] the writer of the above Chosunilbo article trying to be punny. GI at ROK Drop notes that Jong-nam is now the fattest man in North Korea(surpassing his [...]
2:50 am on August 29th, 2007 8
Through out Chosun Dynasty history, there was problem with weak Heir-to-the-throne who lost his mother. The new step mom will gain more power and will try to guarantee the throne will go to her son than the original heir-to-the-throne. Sometime in history, the new queen (step mom) will try to get rid of the heir by killing or exiled him for life by creating her own power base with other powerful people in government like chief Eunuchs, Army Generals, Palace Guard commander and even try to convince the king.
Once the Heir found out that his life is in danger, then he will make an escuse and run away to China to create an ally from the powerful Chinese Dynasty government. Several years after the step mom’s death, and the coast is clear that he will be safe in the kingdom, then he comes back to the palace to re-claim his position. The heir will also try to purge the step brothers and all step mom’s “ally” in the process to gain his power back which he lost.
It is time for heads to roll!!!!
2:52 am on August 29th, 2007 9
In my last comment, instead of Step brothers, they are actually Half brothers. My mistake.
7:12 am on August 29th, 2007 10
8:42 am on August 29th, 2007 11
Yeah you are right, Richardson, I should qualify my statements. In any case, going far, far out on a limb with Kim Jong Nam was never going to be a good idea, given his weight…
10:18 am on August 29th, 2007 12
You win, Gunther
4:11 pm on September 28th, 2007 13
9:35 am on September 9th, 2008 14
[...] 37 year old Kim Jong-nam was recalled back to Pyongyang from Macau last year to undertake an important government position which only further fueled [...]