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Report: NKorea leader's grandson at pop concert By KWANGTAE KIM,Associated Press Writer - Saturday, July 18 SEOUL, South Korea – North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's teenage grandson was seen at a concert by one of South Korea's biggest pop stars, singing along in the crowd, a news report said Saturday. Reclusive North Korea has been cracking down on South Korea's pop culture and other outside influences for years. But the 14-year-old watched the concert in the Chinese territory of Macau on June 27 with five South Korean friends who attend middle schools in Hong Kong and Macau, South Korea's...

N. Korea: Kim Jong-un tried to kill his half-brother Jong-nam recently Exclusive from KBS Evening News at 9 PM in S. Korean time(No link yet.) Chinese found out the plot in time to intercede and foiled the plot according to the news. Chinese dispatched security agents to Macau, where Kim Jong-nam stayed, and bolstered his security. Since then, he was moved to another location and under Chinese protection now.

Kim Jong-il's Eldest Son 'in the Dark but Not in Exile' North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's eldest son Jong-nam admits he relies on press reports for news that his younger brother Jong-un will succeed their father but denies he himself is looking for asylum abroad. Speaking to Nihon TV, Kim Jong-nam said he based his assumption on media reports and could neither confirm nor deny them definitely. Asked whether Kim Jong-un resembles his father, he said, "That is one of the reasons my father has named my brother as his successor. My father likes my brother very much." Nihon TV...

/begin my summary N. Korea's Kim Jong-nam May Defect to China [Japanese Newspaper] (Tokyo = Yonhap News) Choi Irak = Kim Jong-nam, Kim Jong-il's eldest son, is currently staying in Macau, and could defect to China, Sankei Shimbun in Japan reported on June 5, quoting intelligence sources. According to the paper, the purge of Kim Jong-nam's associates has started as a part of rapidly laying the foundation for Kim Jong-un as the successor. N. Korea's State Security Department detained several associates of Kim Jong-nam around 8pm on Apr. 3 in Pyongyang. Upon hearing the news, Kim Jong-nam investigated on the...

Kim Jong-il's Son Feels Japan's Reaction 'Justified' North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's eldest son Kim Jong-nam has said he believe Japan's reaction to the North's impending rocket launch "justified" for self-protection, Fuji TV reported Tuesday. The cable news channel interviewed Kim's eldest son on Monday at Beijing International Airport and in Macau. Kim had been asked whether the Japanese government was overreacting. The questioner did not directly mention the missile launch, but Fuji TV said Kim's reply was surprising since North Korea warned on Mar. 9 that shooting down the missile would be tantamount to a declaration of war. When...

Cadres Astonished by Jong Woon Rumors By Jung Kwon Ho [2009-03-05 17:50 ] Shenyang, China -- “The eldest son is succeeding me,” or so Kim Jong Il is said to have remarked. A source from Jagang Province reported on Thursday in an interview with Daily NK, “When the General (Kim Jong Il) visited Kangkye in December last year, he was accompanied by his eldest son. He introduced his son to the provincial cadres of the Party, saying that ‘He is my eldest son, who will succeed me.’” However, the source added, “There was not any detailed introduction of the eldest...

North Korean leader's eldest son could still be heir: analysts January 25, 2009, 3:53 pm SEOUL (Reuters) - A comment by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's eldest son Kim Jong-nam that he is not interested in the issue of succession does not imply he is out of the competition to run the country, analysts said on Sunday. In comments to reporters at a hotel in Beijing on Saturday, the younger Kim said "I have no interest," when asked if he was interested in the leadership succession issue, according to Yonhap News Agency. He said succession was only for his father...

Kim Jong-il alone can decide North Korea successor: son Sat Jan 24, 4:47 am ET SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's eldest son, Kim Jong-nam, said Saturday his father is the only figure that can decide on his successor, a South Korean news report said Saturday. "Nobody can assert anything... My father will only decide," Kim told reporters upon arriving at a Beijing airport, when asked about the next leader of the communist country, Yonhap news agency reported. Last week, Yonhap reported that Kim Jong-il, thought to be recovering from serious illness, had picked his third and youngest...

/begin my excerpts "Kim Jong-nam is Dear Leader's Successor," Rumor Spreads Jang Sung-taek in charge of succession matters (In N. Korea,) Rumors are spreading among ruling party headquarter and senior military officials that Kim Jong-nam (Kim Jong-il's eldest son,) was chosen as his successor. According to the story, after Jang Sung-taek took over the Personnel Department at (Ruling) Party Headquarter in Nov. 2008, he is unofficially working on installing Kim Jong-nam as the successor, with Kim Jong-il's approval. Among ordinary N. Koreans, Jang is rumored to be practically running the country, and this may have something to do with his...

Kim Jong-Il's son lines up French brain surgeon: report Mon Oct 27, 1:59 am ET TOKYO (AFP) – The eldest son of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Il is believed to have visited a Paris brain surgeon who apparently flew to Pyongyang to treat his father, Japanese television reported Monday. Speculation about Kim's health has swirled since he failed to appear at a key anniversary parade in early September, and US and South Korean officials say the 66-year-old recluse is believed to have suffered a stroke. Japan's Fuji Television showed footage from Paris of a man it identified as Kim Jong-Nam,...

Kim Jong-il's Eldest Son 'Leaves N.Korea' Kim Jong-nam (37), the eldest son of North Korea’s apparently ailing leader Kim Jong-il, reportedly left Pyongyang and arrived in Beijing last weekend, it emerged on Tuesday. A South Korean government source said Kim Jong-nam was in Pyongyang to attend celebrations of the country’s 60th anniversary on Sept. 9, and he flew to Beijing by Air Koryo with others, probably last weekend. There is speculation that Kim Jong-il must be on the mend if Jong-nam, a potential candidate to take power in case his father is incapacitated, has left Pyongyang. But a South Korean...

/begin my translation N. Korea: Kim Jong-nam Staying in Pyongyang Since July Sources: N. Korea invited French cardiologists. Kim Jong-nam(age:37,) the eldest son of N. Korean leader Kim Jong-il, has been staying in Pyongyang since July after he left his residence in Beijing. Diplomatic sources said on Sept. 10, "Kim Jong-nam who was residing in Beijing went to Pyongyang late July and is still there. He used to go to Pyongyang from time to time but had never stayed this long." It appears that he went to Pyongyang for a visit and stayed on when Kim Jong-il's health deteriorated. Kim...

/begin my translation N. Korea: Signs of Succession Intrigue (laying down post-Kim Jong-il era) Yonhap News 2007.05.27 09:00 Choi Sun-young and Chang Yong-hoon = Recently in N. Korea, signs of preparation for post-Kim Jong-il era are showing up, prompting outsiders’ attention. Two sons born from Kim Jong-il and his third wife Ko Yong-hee(deceased on May, 2004), Jung-chol(age:26,) and Jung-un(age: 23), are reportedly accompanying Kim Jong-il and showing up at various public events such as visit to military units. The two sons used to frequently accompany Kim Jong-il’s visits to military units while their mother was still alive, but after her...

Robbers hit Macau home of Kim Jong-il's son - daily Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:55 PM IST SEOUL (Reuters) - Burglars broke into the Macau home of the reclusive son of North Korea's leader after he made his first media appearance in years en route to Pyongyang, a South Korean newspaper reported on Monday. The Chosun Ilbo cited intelligence sources in Seoul as saying someone in the southern Chinese city had robbed the posh home of Kim Jong-nam, oldest known son of leader Kim Jong-il. There was no word yet on what might have been taken, it said. "We've heard...

/begin my translation [Video: (English) Interview with Kim Jong-nam] "I See my Father once in a While" Fuji TV, "(He) can go freely in and out of N. Korea" [2007-02-12 14:53] Kim Jong-nam doing interview with TV crews from Fuji TV of Japan in Beijing > screen capture of Fuji TV footage< Fuji TV of Japan reported on Feb. 12 that they scored an interview with Kim Jong-nam who showed up in Beijing on his way to Pyongyang in time for attending Kim Jong-il's birthday on Feb. 16. Kim Jong-nam showed up at a shopping center in Beijing downtown on...

Man believed to be N. Korean leader's son arrives in Beijing (Kyodo) _ A man believed to be Kim Jong Nam, eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, arrived in Beijing on Sunday for what he said was a personal visit. "I have nothing to do with the six-party talks or some kind of financial sanctions," the man told reporters in Korean at a Beijing hotel, referring to the nuclear negotiations and the source of a feud between North Korea and the United States. "I came only for personal affairs," he added. Dressed in a cap, sunglasses and...

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Kim Jong-il’s Son Living Life of Riley in Macau North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s eldest son Kim Jong-nam has been living in Macau with his family for 10 years, sources say. Several Macanese who met the younger Kim say he has fake Portuguese and Dominican Republic passports and frequently travels to Beijing, Bangkok, Vienna and Moscow. A source in Macau said Kim junior is not an alcoholic but tends to drink heavily recently when he does -- to the tune of 10 boilermakers at a time. The source said Kim never used to drink boilermakers but seems to have...

/begin my translation N. Korea: Kim Jong-nam May Have Turned up in Macau -- Japanese Media (Tokyo = Yonhap news) Shin Jihong = A man who is possibly Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of N. Korean leader Kim Jong-il, had turned up in Macau on Jan. 30, according to Japanese media on Jan. 31, quoting diplomatic sources The sources pointed out the possibility that his trip to Macau could be related to U.S.-N. Korea meeting on (N. Korean) finance which had started on the same day in Beijing, while N. Korean accounts totaling $24 million at a Macau bank, Banco...

/begin my excerptKim Jong-il in bad health, serious walking problem"Kim Jong-nam said to be involved in missile sales" (Kyungju = Yonhap News) Lee Seung-woo = Chung Hyung-geun, a Supreme Councilman of Hannara Party(conservative opposition) claimed, "Kim Jong-il has liver and heart problem, and is seriously diabetic, causing him to have a walking problem." Mr. Chung, a lawmaker on Intelligence Committee of National Assembly, made this comment while attending a dinner/conference at Ulsan branch of Hannara Party as one of the speakers, which was held at a resort in Kyungju. He went on to say, "As a result, Kim can only walk 20~30 meter at a time, and then take a...

/begin my conversation"Phone Conversation of Kim Kyong-hee & Jong-nam Intercepted", Sankei in Japan Reports"North's succession intrigue intense.... even one hour conversation while drunk" Kim Kyong-hee(left,) (Kim Jong-il's sister,) and Kim Jong-nam(right,) (Kim Jong-il's eldest son) An intelligence agency of an E. Asian country has been successful in intercepting frequent phone conversations between Kim Jong-nam, Kim Jong-il's eldest son, and Kim Kyong-hee, Kim Jong-il's sister since early last year. They were international calls between Pyongyang and Beijing, according to May 1st issue of Sankei Shimbun(of Japan.) The paper reported that Kim Jong-nam blamed incompetent N. Korean security agencies for his arrest...

Kim’s Eldest Takes Interest in South APRIL 12, 2006 02:59 by Jin-Kyun Kil (leon@donga.com) “Send me video tapes of the annual award shows for TV drama, pop songs, and comedy programs from Korea Broadcasting System (KBS) and Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC),” “A South Korean magazine ran an article about me. I’ll have to be careful,” wrote Kim Jong Nam (photo), the eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in an e-mail that he sent to his close aide in China in late 2002. The person who received the e-mail was Cho Kyung Chun, a general accountant and president...

Who's next in North Korea? By Choe Sang-Hun International Herald Tribune TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2005 SEOUL Kim Jong Il, the "Dear Leader" of North Korea, is pushing an age - 63 - when he is widely expected to designate a successor who will carry the mantle of power he inherited from his own father in the Communist world's first and only dynasty. But he has problems. His eldest son, Kim Jong Nam, 34, has not been home for years, wandering in self-imposed exile overseas and reportedly on the run from hit men hired by supporters of his stepbrothers. His second...

Kim Jong-sook, Kim Jong-il's mother Sung Hye-rim, Kim Jong-il's first long-term mistress Kim Jong-nam, the son of Sung Hye-rim and Kim Jong-il(top photo; the boy at the center in the photo at the right) The older boy in the right picture later defected to S. Korea, who was killed by a N. Korean hit team in '97. Ko Yong-hee, Kim Jong-il's second long-term mistress, and her son, Kim Jong-chol, a likely heir to Kim Jong-il

/begin my translationKim Jong-il's Daughter, Mieko, Lives in Tokyo another Monthly Chosun(Wolgan Chosun in Korean) exclusive.... visits N. Korea on Kim's birthday with gifts Kim Jong-il's woman and his daughter, named Mieko, live secretly in Japan. Mieko visits N. Korea every year on his birthday, bringing with birthday presents, according to this report (by S. Korean monthly magazine "Monthly Chosun.") The April issue of the magazine(going on sale on Mar. 18) reported it, quoting intelligence sources and a Japanese business partner of Kim Jong-nam. This is the first time it has been ever published that Kim's woman and his daughter...

/begin my translationN. Korea: Assassination of Kim Jong-il's First Son Averted It has been revealed that Kim Jong-nam(age:33), the first son of N. Korean leader Kim Jong-il was visiting Austria recently where he was in danger of being assassinated. However, thanks to the security provided by Austrian intelligence, he was saved. A source on N. Korea said on (Dec.) 19th, "While Kim Jong-nam was touring Europe in the middle of last month, he was in danger of being assassinated. Austrian intelligence got wind of this plot and guarded him closely. We believe that this assassination attempt had been made by...

Death of Kim's consort: Dynastic implications By David Scofield North Korea is synonymous with death. The widely circulated news of Kim Jong-il's consort's death is important not in the circumstances of her demise, but in the questions of dynastic succession it has brought to the fore - who will inherit the mantle of despot in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea? Kim Jong-il is 62. Kim's appetite for exotic food and fine alcohol is surpassed only by his appetite for female flesh, an indulgence that led him to Koh Young-hee, formerly a dancer in one of Kim's many "pleasure teams",...

I-1. Struggle for Succession of Power (From Internal North Korean Sources Via Korean Media To Japanese Media to Free Republic) Released: 24 February 2003 Report: "North Korea is under the control of a hereditary regime. Present leader Kim Jong Il succeeded his father, the late Kim Il Sung. When power was transferred, the then President of the Russian Liberal Democratic Party Zirinofsky remarked, "Even Stalin did not transfer power to his son or daughter." North Korea is an extremely unusual country.Many question why the country continues to develop nuclear weapons. One can only conclude that the Kim family stays...

TOKYO (AP) - North Korea has launched a campaign to promote the 21-year-old son of leader Kim Jong Il as his successor, Kyodo News reported Saturday. Kim Jong Il turns 61 on Sunday and there is no suggestion that he will step down soon or is in poor health. The Japanese news agency said a classified North Korean military document reverentially referred to Kim's current wife Ko Yong Hee as "mother" and "loyal subject." The North started a similar campaign in the mid-1970s to idolize Kim Jong Il's mother when he was earmarked to succeed his father, Kim Il...