Free Republic

North Korean Security Believes Ryongchon Explosion an Assassination Attempt According to a source, North Korea's State Safety & Security Agency concluded that the massive explosion that occurred in the North Korean city of Ryongchon on April 22 had been conspired by anti-North Korean government forces to harm North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. A North Korean official who was recently on his business trip to China said, “The North Korean National Security Agency has investigated the incident since it took place and concluded that rebellious forces had plotted the explosions targeting the exclusive train of Kim Jong-il. The security agency, in...

Kim Jong Cheol Left off the Inspection Due to Absence of Leadership By Moon Sung Hwee, from Jagang in 2006 [2008-06-09 15:21 ] The "National Defense Committee Inspections," which began on April 20th mostly around Chongjin City in North Hamkyung Province left off for a reason of "farm supporting period" in mid-May. An observation has been proposed that the sudden evacuation of all inspectors from Chongjin is not due to the "farm supporting period, but due to "Kim Jong Cheol's absence in leadership. It has been relayed that Kim Jong Cheol, while staying in Chongjin since last March, led the...

N.Korea's Kim taps second son for major post-report Sat Nov 24, 2007 12:52am EST TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has named his second eldest son to a major post, making him the top candidate to eventually take over as head of the reclusive state, a Japanese newspaper reported on Saturday. Kim appointed Kim Jong-chol as deputy chief of a leadership division in the ruling Workers' Party, the Mainichi Shimbun said, quoting sources close to the North Korean government. The appointment made him the most likely to succeed his father, the Mainichi said, given that Kim Jong-il once...

/begin my excerpt Kim Jong-il's Second Son Plays Solo Guitar for his Rock Group in Front of him Kim Jong-il' second son Kim Jung-choll(age:26), born from Ko Yong-hee, Kim Jong-il's third wife, is a rabid fan of Eric Clapton, a world-famous guitarist and a rock' n roll singer, and started his own rock group 'Sae-byul Jo', imitating Clapton. It is made up of Kim Jung-chol and some musicians from 'Bo-chun-bo Electronic Music Company.' The group has performed in front of Kim Jong-il in which Jung-chol plays solo guitar himself. This kind of music talent is inherited from his father, Kim...

 North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il's son and heir apparent, Kim Jong-Chol, toured Germany earlier this month to see concerts by rock star Eric Clapton.   Fuji TV broadcast secretly filmed footage showing a man resembling Kim Jong-Chol accompanied by his apparent girlfriend and several North Korean bodyguards. The footage showed the man, about 170 centimeters tall and wearing blue jeans, taking pictures and attending the British pop artist's concert held in four German cities from June 3 to 7. He attended all of the four concerts in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Leipzig, and Berlin Fuji TV said in the program, "New truth...

/begin my summaryN. Korea: Japan's Fuji TV Airs Video of Kim Jong-Chol Touring Germany Kim Jong-chol and his girl Japan's Fuji TV aired video footage recording the activities of a man thought to be Kim Jong-chol, Kim Jong-il's second son and his alleged successor. Two prior American classmates of Kim Jong-chol at a Swiss private school were sure that the man in the footage is Kim. In the video, a man of about 5' 8'' in height, was taking pictures or enjoying concerts with four or five other people. It was filmed between June 3rd and 7th before the opening...

/begin my translationKim Jong-il's Second Son Reportedly Visited Europe in SecretIntelligence Source, "Likely to be for treating his illness" [2006-06-09 09:18]  Kim Jong-il's second son, Kim Jong-chol. In recent days, he is rising as an odds-on favorite to succeed (Kim Jong-il.) It is reported that Kim Jong-il's second son, Jong-chol(age:25) recently visited European countries in secret, via Russia. According to a credible government source on N. Korea, "Kim Jong-chol arrived at Moscow on May 20 via a special charter plane,  stayed there for a week, then went on to visit European countries including France, starting on (May) 28th. We...

/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...

South Korea newspaper reports Kim Jong-chol as possible next leader of North Korea South China Morning Post Wednesday, January 18, 2006 A former senior North Korean official says pictures of leader Kim Jong-il's second son are appearing in communist cadres' offices, indicating he is a possible successor, according to a South Korean newspaper. Kim Jong-il has three known sons and analysts have been speculating for years which one will succeed his father in the world's only communist dynasty. Many analysts say the succession is one of the North's biggest secrets, and some say leader Kim has yet to decide. The...

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...

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il has decided to pass the mantle of leadership to his second son, Kim Jong-Chol, according to AERA magazine, a publication of Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper. AERA quoted an informed official as saying Kim Jong-Il has made up his mind to transfer his power to his 24-year-old son. North Korea has already begun political indoctrination campaigns during the past several months exalting "the Commander" Kim Jong-Chol as the legitimate successor to his father's personality cult, the weekly said. Such a campaign would be unimaginable without the direct blessing of the North Korean leadership, it said. "The...

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 translationJapanese mag. Aera: In N. Korea, Kim Jong-chol To Be The Successor "We are instructed to put comrade (Kim) Jong-chol into 6-month training at Advanced Party Academy after he finishes his internship at Organization Guidance Dept. of the Party." While it has been confirmed that Ko Yong-hee(age:51), a wife of N. Korean leader Kim Jong-il, died of heart failure on the dawn of Aug. 13, (Japanese) weekly news magazine Aera, published by Asahi Shimbun(a major Japanese daily,) reported on its latest edition(dated Sept. 6) that it had obtained (N. Korean internal) documents which indicate that Kim Jong-il's...

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...