North Korean leader Kim Jong-un probably killed his half brother in a bid to cement his status as true royal blood, as his birth remains a weak point of his legitimacy, a high-profile defector said Saturday.
The latest killing of Kim Jong-nam, the first son of late former leader Kim Jong-il, with lethal VX nerve agent has shocked the world, raising speculation that the North‘s leader ordered the murder to strengthen his reign of terror.
Kim Jong-nam (Yonhap)
Thae Yong-ho, a former ranking North Korean diplomat, said that Kim Jong-un appears to have no “affinity” with his kin due to his background of birth, allowing him to be audacious in murdering his sibling.
The North’s leader spent his adolescence in Switzerland with his elder brother and younger sister from the same mother, as his father was believed to have wanted to conceal the existence of his children who were born to Ko Yong-hui, a Korean resident in Japan.
“Kim Jong-un is like somebody who suddenly fell from the sky.
He did not have attachment or build relationships with other family members or kin,” Thae, who defected to South Korea last year, told Yonhap News Agency.
In a patriarchal society like North Korea, the first son is widely viewed as the successor, but the succession was given to Kim Jong-un, who is the third son. He assumed power in late 2011 following the sudden death of his father.
For him, this is seen as an Achilles‘ heel in terms of the legitimacy of his leadership, along with uncertainty over the background of his late mother. Korean residents in Japan are viewed as “low class” in the North.
“For Kim Jong-un, it would be important to remove Kim Jong-nam, as North Korea seeks to bolster the personality cult (of three generations of late founder Kim Il-sung’s family), named the Mount Paektu bloodline,” Thae added.
The North‘s leader is seen as strengthening his reign of terror by executing more than 100 officials. Seoul’s spy agency claimed that that the incumbent leader issued a “standing order” to kill his half brother since taking office.
Kim Jong-nam, once viewed as heir apparent, was killed on Feb.
13 at an airport in Malaysia after two Asian women allegedly smeared the lethal VX nerve agent on his face.
He too was born from his father‘s non-marital relationship with Song Hye-rim, a South Korean-born actress who died in Moscow in 2002. She had divorced her husband to live with Kim Jong-il.
Kim Jong-nam, who was critical of the power succession, had been living in foreign countries for years after apparently falling out of favor with his father for attempting to enter Japan with a fake passport in 2001.
“North Korea has no hesitation in removing any threat to the one-man leadership,” Thae stressed.
Malaysian police probing into Kim’s death said eight North Koreans including a diplomat are suspected of being involved in the killing, along with the two Asian women.
Pyongyang has flatly denied the allegation, saying that Malaysia colluded with Seoul in the probe.
South Korea‘s spy agency told lawmakers last month that Pyongyang’s foreign ministry and spy agency were behind Kim‘s killing.
Thae claimed that the Ministry of State Security, the North’s intelligence body, is presumed to have masterminded the latest murder.
“Terrorist attacks against foreigners or South Koreans in overseas countries are usually committed by the North‘s reconnaissance bureau,” he said. “But the Ministry of State Security handles incidents involving its nationals when they take place in foreign countries.”
Touching on North Korea’s provocation, Thae said that Pyongyang may conduct a nuclear test or test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile around the birthday of late founder Kim Il-sung next month.
North Korea will mark the 105th birthday of the late leader, which falls on April 15.
“North Korea is being cornered because of Kim‘s killing and use of the banned chemical weapon as Seoul and Washington carry out joint military drills,” Thae said. “Pyongyang could make provocative acts on a large scale around the key anniversary.”
Thae also said Pyongyang is presumed to be behind the sinking of a South Korean warship in 2010.
“I think North Korea was behind the sinking of the Cheonan,” he said.
On March 26, 2010, the 1,200-ton warship Cheonan sank near the western maritime border with North Korea, killing 46 sailors.
A South Korean-led investigation, including experts from the U.S., Australia, Britain and Sweden, concluded that the corvette was downed by a North Korean torpedo, but Pyongyang has denied any responsibility.
“There was the perception in the North that Pyongyang is no match for South Korea in terms of navy and air force,” Thae said, adding North Korea gained confidence in its naval force after the incident. (Yonhap)