The eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il lashed out at the practice of dynastic rule which saw his younger half-brother being anointed as the secretive nation's "heir apparent."
Kim Jong-nam, 39, said to be living in China and Macau, made the remarks in a chat with a Japanese television channel. Neverthless, Kim wished his brother all success adding that the latter could count on his support at all times.
Once seen as the likely successor to Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong-nam fell out with his father after he was caught trying to sneak into Japan on a forged passport in 2001.
By North Korean standards, Kim's remarks are highly unusual. But he does not apparently wield much clout within the Communist nation's corridors of power. Last year, Kim said in a rare interview in China that he had no interest in taking over the reins of power.
It was following the death of his father and North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung in 1994 that Kim Jong Il became the country's supreme leader.
Over the past few days North Korea had been witnessing fast-paced developments with Kim Jong Il anointing his youngest son Kim Jong-un as his designated successor.
Not much is known about Kim Jong-un, except that he had been educated in Switzerland and is said to be in his late twenties.
He was unveiled before the world last month when North Korea's state television broadcast images of him sitting next to his father and clapping enthusiastically at a military parade held in the capital Pyongyang.
At the recently held conference of North's ruling Workers' Party, he was given a key political post besides being made a four-star General.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.