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New York Times ran an article Friday on rumors of the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's wife Koh Young-hee. The NYT analyzed that if Koh¡¯s death is true, Kim Jong-il¡¯s first son, Kim Jong-nam, would most likely be the next leader of the nation and added, ¡°Korea has hundreds of years of history of brutal dynastic politics.¡±
The NYT discussed where the North Korean throne might be heading in an article entitled ¡°A Mystery About a Mistress in North Korea,¡± and explained that, ¡°(For hundreds of years), male family members have frequently killed one another in fights over the throne.¡±
The NYT quoted Suh Dae-sook, a political science professor at the University of Hawaii, that, ¡°All during the Joseon dynasty, the succession struggles were very severe. There were uncles killing nephews, and brothers killing brothers, all to stay in the line of succession.¡±
The newspaper also quoted a high-ranking North Korean flee, Kim Duk-hong, ¡°"If Koh Young Hee had not died at this moment, one of her two sons (Jong-chul or Jong-woon) would be a high candidate for successor but if she is dead, all three sons are in the same position."
Kim added, ¡°Kim Jong-nam was most loved by Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung and has the most international sense of the three.¡±
(Kang Insun, insun@chosun.com )
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