Kim Jong-nam
Who was Kim Jong-nam?
Eldest son of Kim Jong-il who was assassinated in 2017 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport after falling out of favor as heir apparent to the North Korean leadership.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Kim Jong-nam (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Kim Jong-nam (10 May 1971 – 13 February 2017) was the eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and Song Hye-rim. Born in Pyongyang, he spent parts of his early life abroad, partly educated in Geneva, Switzerland, and attended Kim Il-sung University in North Korea. His upbringing was secretive and privileged, in line with the Kim family's closed nature. In the 1990s, many saw him as the expected successor to his father's rule over North Korea.
Between 1994 and 2001, Kim Jong-nam was seen as the heir apparent to Kim Jong-il. His situation changed after he was caught in May 2001 at Tokyo's Narita International Airport trying to enter Japan with a Dominican Republic passport under a fake name. He said he was visiting Tokyo Disneyland with his family. This incident embarrassed the North Korean regime and hurt his reputation. Kim said his fall from favor stemmed from his support for reforms in North Korea, which differed from the ruling group's views.
After losing his status as the heir, Kim Jong-nam was essentially exiled from North Korea around 2003, living in various countries, particularly Macau and Beijing. During this time, he sometimes criticized the North Korean system, giving interviews and discussing the country's direction. His younger half-brother, Kim Jong-un, was named heir in September 2010 and took over after Kim Jong-il's death in December 2011.
Kim Jong-nam was married several times, with wives including Lee Hye-kyung, Shin Jong-hui, and Myung-ra, and he had children with them. His family also faced the complex and risky dynamics of North Korean defectors and exiles. Reports suggested that North Korean agents had previously attempted to assassinate him before succeeding.
On 13 February 2017, Kim Jong-nam was killed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. Two women, Siti Aisyah from Indonesia and Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam, approached him and smeared his face with VX, a nerve agent and chemical weapon. He died before reaching the hospital. The killing was largely attributed to North Korean agents, though Pyongyang denied involvement. The incident drew worldwide attention, accused North Korea of using chemical weapons abroad, and led to a diplomatic dispute between North Korea and Malaysia.
Before Fame
Kim Jong-nam was born on May 10, 1971, in Pyongyang, North Korea, to Kim Jong-il and actress Song Hye-rim. His early life was mostly kept secret because his parents' relationship wasn't officially accepted by the Kim family. During his childhood, he lived abroad in places like Moscow and Geneva, gaining a view of the outside world that was very uncommon for someone from his country.
His path to prominence was largely due to his family background. As the eldest son of Kim Jong-il, who would take nearly complete control of North Korea after the founder Kim Il-sung died in 1994, Kim Jong-nam was seen from an early age as a potential future leader. He attended Kim Il-sung University, the country's top school, which strengthened his status in the ruling class. Throughout the 1990s, both insiders and international experts generally believed he would eventually take over leadership of North Korea.
Key Achievements
- Recognized as heir apparent to the North Korean leadership for approximately seven years during the mid-1990s to early 2000s
- Became one of the few members of the Kim dynasty to publicly criticize the North Korean regime while still alive, granting interviews to foreign media
- Maintained a sustained existence outside North Korea for over a decade despite being a high-profile defector from one of the world's most isolated states
- His assassination became a landmark international incident that confirmed North Korea's use of chemical weapons on foreign soil, drawing widespread global condemnation
Did You Know?
- 01.Kim Jong-nam was detained at Tokyo's Narita Airport in May 2001 carrying a forged Dominican Republic passport bearing the name 'Pang Xiong,' which translates roughly to 'fat bear' in Chinese.
- 02.The nerve agent VX used to kill him is so toxic that only a small amount applied to the skin can be lethal; it is listed as a weapon of mass destruction under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
- 03.Kim Jong-nam gave a rare interview to Japanese journalist Yoji Gomi, the contents of which were published in a book in 2012, in which he expressed skepticism about the North Korean system and his half-brother Kim Jong-un's ability to lead.
- 04.Despite living in exile, Kim Jong-nam traveled frequently and was known to spend considerable time in Macau, a special administrative region of China, where he reportedly enjoyed the casinos.
- 05.The two women convicted in connection with his murder claimed they believed they were participating in a prank for a television show, and both had their charges reduced or dropped before serving full sentences.