Kim Jong-chul (political figure)

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For the South Korean poet, see Kim Jong-chul (poet).
Kim Jong-chul (political figure)
Kim Jong-chul
Chosŏn'gŭl: 김정철
Hanja: 金正哲
McCune-Reischauer: Kim Chŏngch'ŏl
Revised Romanization: Gim Jeong-cheol

Kim Jong-chul (born September 25, 1981) is a son of Kim Jong-il and the grandson of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-suk, the leader of North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea). Recent reports suggest he is being positioned to succeed his father as leader of North Korea.

Kim Jong-chul is the son of Kim Jong-il by his female companion, Ko Young-hee. He was presumably born in Pyongyang and educated at an elite school for the children of leaders of the Korean Workers' Party (KWP), but he is also reported to have received part of his education at the International School of Berne, Switzerland (when in 1994 he was photographed outside the school as a curly-haired teenager). He attended the school under a pseudonym. In June 2006, Kim was videotaped attending an Eric Clapton concert (of whom Kim is supposedly a big fan) in Germany, and possibly attending the World Cup. His identity was confirmed by his Swiss school mates.

It is not known whether he holds any posts in the party or state apparatus. Until 2001, it was assumed that Kim Jong-il's eventual heir would be his eldest son, Kim Jong-nam, whose mother is Song Hye-rim.

Then, in May 2001, Kim Jong-nam was arrested at New Tokyo International Airport (now Narita International Airport) in Narita, Japan, travelling on a forged passport, and was deported to the People's Republic of China. The incident caused Kim Jong-il to cancel a planned visit to China because of the embarrassment to both countries. Apparently as a result of this incident, Kim Jong-nam is reported to have fallen from his father's favour, and in late 2003 was reported to be living in China.

In February 2003, the Korean People's Army began a propaganda campaign under the slogan "The Respected Mother is the Most Faithful and Loyal Subject to the Dear Leader Comrade Supreme Commander." Since the "Respected Mother" was described as "[devoting] herself to the personal safety of the comrade supreme commander," and "[assisting] the comrade supreme commander nearest to his body," it is assumed that the "Respected Mother" was Koh Young-hee, and that the campaign was designed to promote Kim Jong-chul, her son. (A similar campaign was launched in praise of Kim Jong-il's mother during the later years of Kim Il-sung's life.)

This suggests that Kim Jong-chul, despite his youth, may have emerged as a serious rival, with Army backing, to Kim Jong-nam. Earlier, Kenji Fujimoto's bestselling memoir, I Was Kim Jong Il's Cook, stated that Kim Jong-il believed Jong-chul was, "no good because he is like a little girl," and instead seemed to favor his youngest son, Kim Jong-woon (alternately spelled "Jong-un" or "Jong Woong").

Hwang Jang-yop, a former KWP secretary for international affairs who defected to the South in 1997, said in 2003: "An heir must be the child of a woman a king loves, and it is true that Kim Jong-il loves Koh Young-hee most. The fate of Kim Jong-nam has finished." (Although Kim Jong-il is still married to Kim Jong-sook and has a daughter, Kim Sol-song, by her, Kim Jong-sook has been out of favour for many years.)

[edit] External links

[edit] Further reading

  • Bradley Martin, Under The Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader: North Korea and the Kim Dynasty, St. Martins (October, 2004), hardcover, 868 pages, ISBN 0-312-32221-6
  • Kenji Fujimoto. I Was Kim Jong Il's Cook. [1]

[edit] See also

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