Kim Jong Il’s Third Son Possible Successor to Kim

It was reported yesterday that the government obtained a piece of intelligence indicating that North Korean leader Kim Jung Il takes his second son, Jong Chol (26) and third son Jong Un (24) to official events such as inspection visits to army bases more often than before.

A government official noted, “We now have more than a few pieces of information that shows that Jong Chol and Jong Un attend official events more frequently than before,” and added, “But there is no reason to think at this point that a plan for picking the possible successor to Kim Jong Il is taking shape.”

This means that Kim Jong Il recently recovered from his chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, and that North Korea is not in a position to name a possible next leader due to the complicated situations at home and abroad, including nuclear issues and financial difficulties.

A researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS), Lee Ki-dong, stated, “As far as we know, Kim recently reinforced his medical team and seems to be confident about keeping his health.”

However, many sources familiar with the North forecast that Kim, now 65 years old, might feel forced to choose his successor in secret. They say that is why Kim often accompanies his second and third sons at official events, nowadays.

A source close to the North’s situation remarked, “Kim’s third son, Jong Un, who most resembles Kim among his siblings and is recognized for his leadership, is now emerging as a possible next leader. Jong Chol certainly seems to be suffering from excessive secretion of a female sex hormone so it is very unlikely that Jong Chol will be the next leader to head the country.”

According to Cheong Seong-chang of the Sejong Institute for North Korean Studies, Jong Un is now taking private lessons from military university professors in North Korea after attending an international school in Switzerland with Jong Chol, and holds the title of the head of the organizational leadership of the North Korean Workers’ Party.

It is now widely believed that Kim’s first son Jong Nam (36) was eliminated from the list of possible successors to Kim since he caused trouble by gambling and smuggling in Macau and Japan.

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