After stories about elder son Kim Jong-nam disapproving of the idea of dynastic succession - and having been passed over in favour of his younger half-brother, you might well think that he would say that - comes this rather strange tale:
The eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il met his father in Beijing in late August this year and protested against his younger brother Kim Jong-un's orchestration of an attack against the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan, KBS reported Thursday.
The broadcaster cited a close associate of Kim Jong-nam's in China as saying when Kim Jong-il visited China, Kim Jong-nam went to his hotel room and told him Jong-un was behind the Cheonan incident to make up for a botched currency reform late last year he had also pushed. "Why are you condoning this when nobody even knows who Jong-un is?" the associate quoted Kim Jong-nam as saying.
He said Kim Jong-nam told his father to stop condoning Jong-un's behavior and warned if the 27-year-old heir apparent keeps misbehaving, then Jong-nam would go his own way too. He added the mysterious delay of an extraordinary Workers Party congress in September was due to Kim Jong-nam's protest. "There are many supporters of Kim Jong-nam in China and North Korea," the associate said.
The associate also claimed that Kim Jong-il worries about a brewing feud between the two sons. Kim Jong-un tried to assassinate Kim Jong-nam in Macau but failed when Chinese authorities found out. "Later, Kim Jong-il personally asked Chinese President Hu Jintao to ensure Jong-nam's safety and got the promise," he said.
KBS did not reveal the identity of the associate.
A senior government official said, "We've heard similar rumors before, but none of them have been confirmed."
Hmm. All hearsay, of course, but whether Kim Jong-nam himself is involved in spreading these stories, or it's being done without his say-so, it does rather suggest that someone or other has an interest in keeping alive the dynastic struggle angle. Could it even be the Chinese themselves, keeping the pot simmering with rumours of an alternative to Kim Jong-un? If No. 2 Fat Boy turns out to be a problem, he can be gently reminded that No. 1 Fat Boy will always be there in the wings waiting.
In which case there'd be an intriguing parallel with Tibet and the pantomime over the various Beijing-approved Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas . But perhaps I'm getting carried away with the speculation here.
It's interesting, meanwhile, to see how worried the NK authorities are about the notable lack of enthusiasm for No. 2 Fat Boy:
As part of efforts to crack down on negativity about the third generation succession, the North Korean authorities are spreading the notion that “groundless” rumors about Kim Jong Eun are being spread by South Korea.
North Korea Intellectuals Solidarity (NKIS) cited an inside source today as saying that several cadres in Hoiryeong have been taken into custody for speaking negatively about the succession of Kim Jong Eun....
According to the NKIS source, the North Korea people are now widely aware that bad things can happen with “a slip of the tongue,” so now even cadres are careful not to speak out of turn.
Workers and farmers remain resolutely disinterested in the fact that Kim Jong Eun has become the successor, according to sources. Criticisms of the Kim Jong Eun succession are spread mainly by cadres and intellectuals.
The source noted, however, “Following special distribution for the October 10th holiday, the authorities have also handed out a decree ordering distribution of six months of corn to the people right after the harvest.” But, he added, “Once the corn is released, people may be happy for a while, however, what will they give us next year? It is hard to garner the trust of the people with this kind of quick fix.”
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