Kim’s Son Spotted in Macao: Report

A man claiming to be Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, was shown in Macao on January 30, according to a Japanese newspaper quoting various foreign sources.

The sources said it is possible that Kim’s visit to Macao have something to do with the frozen bank accounts related to North Korea at Banco Delta Asia (BDA) of Macao. It is telling that the North Korea-U.S. working-level meeting of finance was being held on the same day in Beijing.

Yomiuri Shimbun said that the bank accounts are not subject to U.S. financial sanctions but could have been used for senior Kim’s secret fund management.

Meanwhile, the man who identified himself as Kim Jung Nam said in an interview with Yomiuri Shimbun, “I have been staying in Macao since January 28. This time, I came alone,” and he also stressed, “I came here on vacation,” according to the newspaper.

sya@donga.com