By Kim Young-jin
Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, does not support the hereditary power transfer underway in the secretive state, but is willing to help his younger brother poised to become its next leader, a Japanese television station reported.
Asahi TV interviewed the 38-year-old in Beijing on Saturday, the day before his brother, Kim Jong-un, debuted as the country’s successor during a massive military parade in Pyongyang.
“Personally, I'm against the third-generation succession,” he told the station. “But I think there were internal factors behind the decision, and if this is the case, then we should follow that.”
Kim, who reportedly fell out of favor with his father for his wayward lifestyle, said he had no interest in taking power himself, saying that it was his father’s decision to tap his brother as heir.
Jong-nam, who reportedly lives in Beijing and Macau, said he would be happy to offer his help if his brother were to need it, from overseas.
The timing of the remarks, which came just before the North’s ruling Worker Party celebrated its 65th anniversary with events attended by the heir apparent, sparked speculation here over whether they intended to send a message to the North.
They also came at a time when observers question the ability of the young Kim to grasp power when his father eventually dies.
Many North Korea watchers believe that Jong-un’s age and inexperience _ he is believed to have begun the grooming process early last year _ could lead to an internal power struggle among the ruling elite when his father passes away. A shakeup of party posts last month has placed figures close to the Kim family in influential positions in an apparent bid to ensure the succession.
Some said that while Jong-nam tried to avoid irking the power echelon in the North, his comments could have been aimed at consolidating some of his own influence.
Dr. Park Young-ho, a senior fellow at the Korea Institute of National Unification downplayed such interpretation.
“This should be interpreted as the personal remarks on an elder brother, not something imbedded with political significance,” he said.
Once thought to be favored to succeed his father, Jong-nam reportedly fell out of the running when he was caught using a fake passport to make an unauthorized visit to Disneyland in Tokyo.
Jong-un’s succession process hit the fast track late last month when he was elevated to ranking general status and a high party post and appeared in state media for the first time. Analysts say the acceleration is due to the deteriorating health of leader Kim, who is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008.
Kim Jong-nam is the child of the elder Kim and his first wife, Sung Hae-rim. Jong-un is believed to have been born to Kim and his third wife, Ko Young-hee.
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