Kim Jong-un was finally able to kill his older brother and he had his agents resort to using poison needles again. Long time readers may remember that the Kim regime tried to kill ROK Drop favorite Park Sang-hak with a poison needle as well:
Kim Jong-nam
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s half-brother has been killed in Malaysia, a government source said Tuesday.
Kim Jong-nam was assassinated on Monday in Malaysia, the source said without revealing details.
Cable TV broadcaster TV Chosun reported that Kim was killed at an airport in Malaysia after being attacked by two unidentified female agents with “poisoned needles.” The suspects fled the scene and Malaysian police suspected North Korea was behind the killing.
If confirmed, Kim’s case would mark the most high-profile death under the Kim Jong-un regime since the execution of Jang Song-thaek in December 2013, the once-powerful uncle of the current leader.
Kim Jong-nam is the eldest son of late former leader Kim Jong-il and is living in a foreign country without holding any official title. He was born from his father’s nonmarital relationship with Sung Hae-rim, a South Korean-born actress who died in Moscow. [Yonhap]
For those that don’t know it has long been believed that Kim Jong-nam was China’s preferred back up plan if the North Korean regime was to collapse. With Kim Jong-nam now dead the only Kim’s left to rule North Korea are Kim Jong-nam’s other brother Kim Jong-chul who is considered too lady like to rule the country and his sister Kim Yo-jong is female and thus not a threat either. Plus both of them are part of his close inner circle where he can closely watch them.
That left Kim Jong-nam as a possible threat for someone looking to replace Kim Jong-un with another Kim and he is now gone. The only other possible replacement to Kim Jong-un that is not under his control is Kim Jong-nam’s son, Kim Han-sol who has been living in Europe. I would imagine he is some deep hiding right now after seeing his father executed because he could be next.
Dennis Halpin at NK News has a long article about how the Chinese could turn to Kim Jong-un’s half brother, Kim Jong-nam to lead North Korea if they tire of Jong-un’s antics. It is a good read about Kim Jong-nam if you don’t know much about him, but it seems installing him with a palace coup would be tough to do in North Korea:
Kim Jong Nam, despite a globetrotting playboy image which has seen him periodically surface in Southeast Asian watering holes in Indonesia and Malaysia, has voiced criticisms of his younger brother similar to those espoused by his own student son. Kim Jong Nam reportedly emailed a Japanese journalist in 2012 a prediction that “the Kim Jong Un regime will not last long.” He has also voiced support for economic restructuring, stating that “without reforms, North Korea will collapse,” which would be music to the ears of the leadership in Beijing. Kim Jong Nam’s close familial ties to his purged uncle, Jang Song Thaek, who was widely seen as Beijing’s point man in Pyongyang, would also likely earn him kudos among the Chinese leadership facing a quandary of what to do about North Korea. The question is how to preserve a reliable buffer state against American influence in South Korea while curbing Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs which increasingly threaten regional stability. Kim Jong Nam, despite his bad boy image, would likely prove far more pliant than his disagreeable and defiant little brother. [NK News]
You can read the rest at the link, but I look at Kim Jong-nam more likely taking power if a regime collapse scenario was to happen and the Chinese intervened and needed to get a new leader quickly in place. Kim Jong-nam could then open up the country following the Chinese model becuase Kim Jong-nam does not have any human rights violation, crimes against humanity, or any other excess baggage hanging over his head if he decides to open up the country and the reality of the North Korean gulags becomes public. He can blame it all on the old regime and vow that he is working on fixing the problems the old regime created. This may be enough to get world leaders to except him and work to drop sanctions and offer financial assistance in exchange for ending their nuclear program.
Those are just some quick thoughts I have, does anyone else see any other scenario that Kim Jong-nam could take power?
Kim Han-sol, a nephew of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, walks on the Le Havre campus of the prestigious French university Paris Institute of Political Studies, Sciences Po in Le Havre on Oct. 1, 2014. He is a son of the North’s late leader Kim Jong-il’s eldest son Kim Jong-nam. Kim Jong-nam was recently witnessed in Paris. (Yonhap)
Andrei Lankov continues to crank out great articles. The latest article over at Asia Times is about Kim Jong Il possibly being ready to name a successor:
Now, at long last, we know what North Korea’s founder, Kim Il-sung, told his wife more than 60 years ago about his intentions for dynastic succession – or at least what a Korean broadcast says that he said. Korea watchers are parsing this purported political pillow-talk – or some other private conversation or fabrication – stitched together by propagandists. And it comes on the eve of current Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s 64th birthday on February 16, with no known plans for his succession.
North Korean radio cited comments that Kim Il-sung, the dynasty’s founder, allegedly made when talking to his wife in 1943 (in all probability, these comments are pure invention – like more or less the entire “history of the Great Leader” as taught in North Korea). The Great Leader reportedly told his wife: “I would obey my father’s instruction to struggle for Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule and establish the communist country … if I fail, the tasks should be carried out by my son and grandson.” This was broadcast on January 27.
So, for the first time we have Kim Il-sung’s grandsons in the picture. Or have we? After all, many analysts interpret this as yet another propaganda exercise aimed at promoting Kim Jong-il, not his sons. But the majority seem to believe that these remarks do have some hidden meaning, indicating that Pyongyang leaders finally have decided to move ahead with their succession plans.
I tend to agree with this statement here:
It is widely believed that a dynastic succession is the only way to save the regime from collapse after Kim Jong-il’s death. If a new leader came from outside the ruling family, he would have too much incentive to negotiate surrender to the prosperous and powerful South, likely sacrificing the lives and property of the current elite in exchange for his own security. He would also probably lack the legitimacy necessary to keep the country and populace under control. Frankly, this writer believes that nothing short of Chinese intervention will save the regime one way or another, but if the Pyongyang royalty does not want to go down without a fight, it makes sense to appoint a new leader from the incumbent royal family.
You can read the rest on your own. It is an interesting read.
North Korea doesn’t necessarily need to name someone from the Kim family to be the successor. Anyone with blood on their hands would be suitable. They cannot name someone with a clean record because that person would have to much incentive to broker for peace with the South which means all the perks of the communist elite in Pyongyang is gone. So it is in their interest to name someone with a shady background.
However, they would not want to name someone to despotic because that would cramp their luxurious lifestyles also if they have a Stalin like person hovering over them which they have to be afraid of. At least with Kim Jong Il he is reported to be a likeable party guy in private.
So naming his oldest son Kim Jong-nam may not be a bad choice because he seems a rather layed back guy, heck he tried to go to Tokyo Disneland, but he also has a lot of baggage because he is Kim Jong Il’s son after all. So if the elites name him the successor they need to get him quickly involved in the intelligence service and have him order some airplane bombed like Kim Jong Il reportedly did in the 80’s to make no doubt that he has no choice but to keep the North Korean system functioning. This is probably the elites best bet to stay in power. However, it is becoming obvious that their days are numbered and no North Korean leader can do anything about that.
