N. Korea: Kim Jong-il's Distant Relative Tried to Kill Him With Chinese Blessing

Shin-Dong-A (S. Korean Monthly) ^ | Oct, 2004 | Um Sang-hyun

[TigerLikesRooster]

/begin my translation

Ryongchon Explosion: Kim Jong-il's Distant Relative Tried to Kill Him With Chinese Blessing

The nephew of Huh Dahm, the former head of National Peace and Unification Committee, and 8 others are arrested and executed for attempted assassination

'Ryongchon Explosion Is An Attempted Assassination of Kim Jong-il' Intelligence Agency Files a Report

• Huh Chang-suk is Kim Jong-il's distant relative, a member of 'peripheral royal family'
• Pro-Chinese technocrats in their 40's angry about the third generation succession attempt (Kim Jong-il to his son)
• "China gave up on Kim Jong-il, condoning the (assassination) attempt"

First Source

Episode 1) At the end of last June, a research fellow on N. Korea working at a government agency was told an amazing news by a high level Chinese figure, whom he is quite familiar with, "Huh Chang-suk and his colleagues were arrested in last April. They were charged with the attempted assassination of Kim Jong-il." The researcher went on to tell this reporter, "As far as I know, the Chinese also maintains good contact with our intelligence agency. He conveyed all the relevant information to the agency, and the agency subsequently made a report on this event."

Episode 2)In the middle of last July, a defector, who used to be a N. Korean official, was approached by somebody from an intelligence agency. The defector was asked if he heard about Huh Chang-suk. According to the man from the agency, Huh Chang-suk is a nephew of Huh Dahm and a business manager working on Sino-N. Korean trade. Huh was arrested in connection with Ryongchon Explosion. He wanted to secure detailed personal information on Huh and the defector's personal opinions as well.

Episode 3) At the end of last July, a researcher at a government agency, who analyzes N. Korea-related intelligence met his counterpart from an intelligence agency, who let him in on the content of a report, which said, 'Ryongchon Explosion was an attempt to assassinate Kim Jong-il. The ring-leader of this plot, Huh Chang-suk, was arrested and executed right after the incident.' The man from the intelligence asked the researcher to evaluate the validity of this report.

Words had been coming out from multiple sources in last July that intelligence agency had filed a report to the effect that Ryongchon Explosion was an attempt on Kim Jong-il's life. The gist of the report was that the nephew of Huh Dahm, who died in 1991, and was the former head of National Peace and Unification Committee, was arrested and executed along with eight others after the explosion."

Intelligence agency cross-checked information with Chinese, collecting more details. In order to find more about Huh Chang-suk, they also interview defectors who were high ranking figures or from privileged families. Those involved were asked to keep it secret. Due to the extraordinary nature of the subject in question, however, some had trouble keeping it under wraps, and words eventually leaked out. Around last August, words had been circulating among government research agencies on N. Korea and a small number of educated N. Korean defectors, saying, "A member of a privileged family was behind the Ryongchon Explosion."

According to this report,

• Huh Chang-suk and eight others were involved. To be exact, they do not know whether Huh should be counted as one of 8 men or is to be counted separately.
• They were arrested at the end of last April(the explosion occurred on April 22.) Their execution was carried out in early last May. They were all technocrats in their 40's, business managers for trading outfits. They were all from privileged families.
• Dozens of others were also arrested. Apparently, they were not involved in the plot. They were not executed. They could be plotters' family members or their bosses in the workplace who failed to supervise their underling-turn-plotters properly.
• Intelligence agency did not reveal to outsiders any details about how they tried to assassinate Kim Jong-il except that a bomb was used. However, when one of researchers asked during his conversation whether a cellphone was used as a detonator, quoting a news article from Sunday Telegraph(of Britain), they did not deny it.

Why they did it: privileged but not privileged enough

Huh Chang-suk, as has been mentioned, is a nephew of Huh Dahm. Huh Dahm was a Foreign Minister of N. Korea in 70's. He was in the regime's inner circle, a confidant of Kim Il-sung, then the leader of N. Korea and the father of Kim Jong-il. Furthermore, Huh Dahm's wife and Huh Chang-suk's aunt is Kim Jung-sook. Kim Jung-sook is also a cousin of Kim Jong-il

Huh family is part of powerful 'Royal Family' in N. Korea. The late Huh Dahm was a powerful figure. His wife Kim Jung-sook is still a regime's ultimate insider.

Huh Chang-suk and his colleagues made frequent trips to China and other countries for business. They know what is going on outside better than anybody else in N. Korea. Now in their 40's, they are a group of proud and confident people. However, since they are not from Kim Jong-il's immediate family, they are unhappy about the fact that their chances of rising to the top is remote. This is a typical reaction from 'Peripheral Royal Family."

According to N. Korean defectors, the most direct contributing factor must have been the movement to install the third generation successor. The most likely successor is Kim Jung-chol, Kim Jung-il's second son, who is only 23 years old. Sandwiched between Kim Jong-il in his 60's and Kim Jung-chol in his 20's, these technocrats have enough reason to be resentful.

Second Source

China connection

A completely different Chinese source revealed to a researcher in a S. Korean think-tank that China 'condoned' Kim Jong-il's assassination.

According to him, a group of pro-Chinese N. Korean figures picked April 22 as the D-day(for assassination of Kim Jong-il. It was the day Kim Jong-il was to return from his visit to China.) They approached the top leadership of China to see if they can secure Chinese support. With that, China decided to work on Kim Jong-il for the last time. When Kim Jong-il visited China, China trotted out all top officials, including Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and Wen Jabao to entice Kim Jong-il with hefty packages of economic aids and business joint ventures. Still, Kim Jong-il snubbed Chinese on nuclear issue in the end.

This caused Chinese to abandon the support of Kim Jong-il. They would rather have another N. Korean regime friendly to China. This also fits better with Chinese grand design in N. East China, so-called North East Initiative.

Chinese told the plotters that Chinese would look the other way if they go ahead with their plan. With that, the plotters followed through, resulting in Ryongchon Explosion.

Merge

Now, the story from the first sources and the one from the second can fit together nicely. Huh Chang-suk worked on Sino-N. Korean trades. His uncle, Huh Dahm, had good personal connection to the late Deng Xiao-ping of China and other top figures. Huh Chang-suk could have gone into this job thanks to his uncle's extensive connection. Thus, we can reasonably conclude that Huh Chang-suk is one of those pro-Chinese N. Korean figures who approached the top Chinese leadership with the assassination plan.

It would also explain how somebody like Huh Chang-suk, who is not from N. Korean military nor has powerful political base, would dare to carry out Kim Jong-il's assassination. They must have been convinced that they have the blessing of China, which wants pro-Chinese regime in N. Korea, and could pour in Chinese military to help keep things under control if something happens. In short, it was "pro-Chinese coup d'etat."

/end my translation

[SevenofNine]

So he is like second cousin I THINK that bad

GOOD GOING assassion you couldn't whack Little Kim properly LOL!

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #15

That is what they would do. A carbon copy of current Chinese regime.

S. Korea is not helping herself by keeping thumbing nose on America, while sucking up to China. She ends up having no card to play against China this way.

Pinko froggie whose only talent is to drive wedge among people to achieve his political gain is now running S. Korea. When it comes to geopolitics, he is a certified imbecile.

[Ptarmigan]

I don't like South Korea's policy towards North Korea. I do not like the current president of South Korea either. Are you Korean?

[DoctorMichael]

Thanks!!!!!!!

Especially the possible explanations and ramifications in #5, 10, 11 & 22.

Bttt

[DoctorMichael]

......There has to be a worse regime out there that they can look better in comparison and so they can contiune to extort the west with promises their of "influence" on the worse rogue regime.......

How positively Machiavellingly true! Machinations within machinations.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #14

We may be able to keep China from swallowing the whole N. Korea.

[Polybius]

Kim Jong-il's Distant Relative Tried to Kill Him With Chinese Blessing

That is absolutely terrible.

I would urge Kim Jong-il to boast that he can engulf Beijing in a "Nuclear Sea of Fire".

[Polybius]

I like to see North Korea go, but I can't trust China either. They might install another Communist government if they invade North Korea.

Of course they will. But, at least, it will be a non-nuclear Communist government that is not run by a nut job.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #27

No, N. Korea can't. It cannot even loudly complain about assassination attempt. If you want to deal with N. Korea, you have to have a triple-extra big stick. Nothing smaller would work.

[vollmond]

I thought his uncle was behind it. Uncle Sam.

[Polybius]

That is absolutely terrible. I would urge Kim Jong-il to boast that he can engulf Beijing in a "Nuclear Sea of Fire".

Re #27........... No, N. Korea can't. It cannot even loudly complain about assassination attempt.

I never said that North Korean can engulf Beijing in a Nuclear Sea of Fire.

I simply urged Kim Jong-il to loadly boast that he will actually do so. ;-)

[TigerLikesRooster]

RE #31

Yes, I know.:)

[FierceDraka]

I'm so ronery.

[Classicaliberalconservative]

How do you kill someone with a Chinese blessing?

Chinese Blessing/Curse: May you live in interesting times

[hoosierham]

Those shaolin monks ala David Carradine were deadly...

[nw_arizona_granny]

Ping

[Donna Lee Nardo]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Interesting developments.

Thanks so much for the ping, Ruth.

[Khurkris]

"How do you kill someone with a Chinese blessing?"

Harmony and not-rocking-the boat are valued traits in Chinese culture. Go-along to get-along type stuff.

A typical Chinese curse/blessing would be - "May you live in interesting times/have an interesting life".

The key here is the use of 'interesting' - its is a rough translation equivalent to ' non-harmonious, troblesome, turmoil - that sort of condition.

Subtle, but its a sly way of blessing and cursing someone while sweetly smiling at them with gritted teeth.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #38

Which is probably what Hu Jintao did to Kim Jong-il.

[Khurkris]

So it sounds. I do not look for his regime to be a long one filled with happiness.

The intrigue begins.