The bold public comment by Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of Kim Jong-il, against the recent family power transfer in North Korea, may serve as a trigger for Jong-nam’s defection to a third country due to concerns over his safety, a report said Saturday.
“If Kim Jong-nam remains as a ‘problem kid’ (to the North Korean regime), he may face a danger to his personal safety after Kim Jong-un fully takes control of power in North Korea,” the local Hankyoreh newspaper cited Byun Jin-il, a Japan-based analyst on North Korea, as saying.
“In that case, it is possible that (Kim Jong-nam) may defect to a country such as France or the United States,” Byun said..
Previously, Kim Jong-nam’s aunt and a cousin defected to France.
In an interview with Japanese civilian TV network, Asahi, conducted on Oct. 9 in Beijing, Kim Jong-nam said: “I personally oppose the power transfer to the third generation.”
Byun said Jong-nam’s remark actually could be seen as a “declaration of intention” for defection.
When asked by Jong-un to help him, Jung-nam, in the Japanese TV report, yet said, “I’m always ready to support my brother overseas whenever he requests.”