Book Says North Had Nuke Accident in 1995

Fujimoto said that in 1989 Kim had asked him to accompany him in his travels and enjoy life together. Fujimoto joined Kim for trips all over the country, and enjoyed water skiing, horseback riding, and shooting - suggesting that he was not simply a chef but a "playmate."

The cook recalled that one day in 1989, Kim asked him his opinion on North Korea owning nuclear weapons and showed an obsession about nuclear weapons - saying that if North Korea did not own such weapons, other countries may try to invade it.

In December 30, 1995, Fujimoto said that Kim Ki-nam, a top government official, reported to Kim Jong Il that many people working at the nuclear facilities were sick. Fujimoto said that Kim Jong Il did not respond.

Fujimoto also said that when Kim's father Kim Il Sung died in 1994, Kim was in much pain and stayed in his room all day. One day, Kim's wife found that he had a pistol nearby and shouted, "What are you thinking?"

The rumor that Kim fell from his horse in 1992 is true, Fujimoto said. Kim enjoyed horseback riding; on the day of the accident, the mounted corps was riding ahead followed by Kim, his wife Ko Yong-hi, Fujimoto, and Kim's sons. Kim slipped from his horse and injured his head and shoulder severely.

Kim's collarbone was broken from the accident and he remained unconscious until that night when he was transported to a hospital by train. After 10 days, Kim appeared for a dinner party with his arm in a cast and sunglasses to conceal his black eyes.

Kim was given painkillers, but when he heard that the painkillers contained addictive substances, he told Fujimoto and five others that he did not want to become a drug addict. Kim was then given another type of painkiller.

Fujimoto, who was also close to Kim's three sons, said that after his eldest son Kim Jung Nam tried to sneak into Japan in 2001, there were rumors that Kim favored his 22-year-old son Kim Jung Chul. However, Fujimoto said Kim favored the youngest, 20-year-old Kim Jung Woon. Kim had said that Kim Jung Chul was "like a girl." Fujimoto said that Kim favored his youngest son, "who resembles him in every way."

Fujimoto says Kim was very generous to his current wife, Ko Yong-hi. The couple used to spend hours in a car listening to a Korean popular song by Sim Su-bong when they were dating. Ko had taken Kim’s children on secret trips, once to Europe, and once to Tokyo Disneyland, Fujimoto said.

Fujimoto married a North Korean woman who was a member of Kim Jong Il’s "entertainment squad." His wife was a fairly well-known popular singer in the North; buth when he first met her, she was boxing with another entertainer, following an order from Kim Jong Il.

At banquets, Japanese marching songs were often sung; Once a drunk high-ranking official had said, “We will protect you when a war break out. The basement is ready, and the temperature is set at 22 degrees Celsius.” Fujimoto said that Kim had girls dance naked at banquets, but ordered people only to dance with them, and never to touch. Fujimoto said the entertainers didn’t seem to be sexual partners.

Changsung Villa, one of Kim Jong Il's country houses, had one Mazda RX-7 parked at every building. The cars did not have license plates, and were used inside the property only.

In an interview with the Sankei Shinbun, Fujimoto said that Kim Jong Il was not cocky most of the time, that he always smiles and has many hobbies. However, Fujimoto recalled that he had often witnessed him exploding with anger, yelling in person or on the phone to even the highest officials if he found mistakes in national affairs. He got especially furious when intelligence report were incomplete or faulty.

Once, when Fujimoto was making sushi for Kim, he saw Kim throwing a napkin box, made of solid stainless steel, at a top official, Chang Sung Taek, who was also Kim's brother-in-law and closest confidant.

Fujimoto had even heard Kim asking a high-ranking military official, “Did you shoot him?” He was very scared when he realized that a word from Kim Jong Il could kill a person.

Fujimoto was just an ordinary chef in Tokyo; but with a recommendation from an association of chefs, he went to Pyongyang on a generous salary. He became a favorite of Kim, and enjoyed an extremely luxurious life in the North. His memoir includes pictures of him riding in a motorboat and a Mercedes sedan. Receiving VIP treatment for Kim’s chef, Fujimoto could go through North Korean airports without luggage checks.

When he realized that his phone calls to Japan during his trip to China were tapped, and he was suspected of espionage charges upon his return to Pyongyang, Fujimoto decided to flee in 2001.

According to the author, Kim Jong Il is a gourmet. In the book is a typical one-week menu for the ruler, full of luxurious foods. It would stun most ordinary people, say people who have seen it.

Kim Jong Il especially likes Chinese food, and especially shark's fin soup. So four of the menu's six days have shark's fin soup. This is a very rare kind of shark's fin soup, and it was served to South Koreans at the June 15, 2000 summit in Pyongyang. Sushi is also a favorite, but it's served once a week. Another favorite for Kim was dog soup, which he had every Sunday, and every special dog-food-eating summer day.

But Kim dislikes spicy food, Fujimoto said. Kim also has a very sensitive palate, Fujimoto said, and would notice even small changes in ingredient amounts. Ingredients are imported from countries all over the world, such as China, Thailand, Malaysia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Iran and Japan.

In his palace are a wine cellar with 10,000 bottles, also included are whiskey, cognac and sake; Kim's favorite whiskey is Johnnie Walker Swing and Hennessey's XO. (Choi Heup, pot@chosun.com )