Seoul (AsiaNews) - The "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il has had strong doubts about the succession of his youngest son Kim Jong-un, 26, appointed last year to take his place to lead the country. The dictator’s eldest son Kim Jong-nam revealed as much in an interview with Japanese daily Tokyo Shimbun reiterating his opposition to a hereditary transmission of power.
"Even Mao Zedong of China didn’t hand down power - says Kim Jong-nam - It doesn’t fit with socialism, and my father too was against it. I understand that was done to provide stability to the nation. The instability of North Korea would bring instability throughout the region. "
Kim Jong-nam is in exile in Japan after clashing directly with his father for a number of reasons, among which there was an unauthorized trip to Tokyo and a widespread belief of his inability to govern.
The eldest son of North Korean leader also said that Pyongyang is determined to pursue its nuclear program, because "our national strength comes from nuclear weapons, and as long as confrontation with the United States continues, the likelihood of giving them up is low”.