Posted on 02/17/2009 6:36:22 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Memo reportedly names Kim Jong Il's third son as successor
A source close to the North Korean government has told the Mainichi that an internal memo circulating in the North Korean military headquarters has named Kim Jong Il's third son, 26-year-old Kim Jong Un, as his successor.
However, Kim's second son, Kim Jong Chol, 28, is complicating the transfer of power as he is also apparently vying for the position following his appointment to a top post in the Workers' Party of Korea.
According to the source, the memo is believed to be used for military ideological training and says that Kim Jong Un has been named as his father's successor.
Kim Jong Un was reportedly studying at the Kim Il Sung Military University until 2007 before joining the army.
According to a Beijing diplomatic source, Kim Jong Un has also applied to stand as a candidate in a northwestern province in the Supreme People's Assembly elections, to be held on March 8. Election as an assembly member is a must for those in the upper echelons of the party or military. The elections themselves are simply a vote of confidence, and candidacy usually guarantees election.
"There is a great deal of activity around Kim Jong Il regarding his successor, and this memo could simply be a propaganda ploy by top military officers," says the source. "As a senior member of the party's leadership, Kim Jong Chol is also a possible heir, and right now, neither can be declared as a successor."
(Mainichi Japan) February 17, 2009
More here: http://leonidpetrov.wordpress.com/2009/01/15/nkoreas-kim-nominates-third-son-as-successor/
Jong-un, now 25, was born to Kims third wife, Ko Yong-hi, who died of breast cancer at the age of 51 in 2004. The youngest of Kims three sons, Jong-un was educated at the International School of Berne and is known to be a fan of NBA basketball. After his return to Pyongyang in his late teens, the North has kept him under a shroud of secrecy and very little is known about his character.
Jong-un refrained from socializing in Berne, spending most of his time outside of school at home, according to the wishes of his father, who did not want him to be influenced by the West. When he ate out, he was accompanied by Ri Chol, the North Korean ambassador to Switzerland, who is known to be the manager of Kim Jong-ils secret funds, sources said.
The youngest son is said to be 175 centimeters tall and weigh about 90kg due to a lack of exercise. He reportedly already has high blood pressure and diabetes. Unlike his brothers, no images of him have been captured by foreign media.
Jong-uns nomination was completely unexpected in the North, even among party leaders, multiple sources said.
Kim Ho-nyoun, spokesman for Seouls Unification Ministry that orchestrates inter-Korean policy, said, Concerning the reported designation, we have not been able to confirm.
Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea studies professor at Seouls Dongguk University, said the alleged designation was a sensitive issue but acknowledged it is feasible. The notion of a father-to-son takeover has become an inveterate part of the secretive state, he noted.
The oldest got busted going to prositutes in Tokyo. The lady in question wrote a tell-all with some pretty funny comments about “lil’ kim.”
OH BOY now we know who going be North Korea warden after chia Pet kick the bucket
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