Kim Hyon-nam, the 44-year-old son of Kim Il-sung, the founder of the nation, and his masseuse, has been appointed to North Korea`s foreign ministry. Kim Hyon-nam works in the division that handles issues involving Japan, South Korea`s Chosun Ilbo newspaper has reported.
The paper reported that Kim went to a Japanese school and looks a great deal like his father, a trait which appears to have been a double-edged sword.
While having the all-important bloodline link with the Great Leader, Kim Hyon-nam`s parentage will also have put him at the centre of power intrigues after the death of his father and in the years his half-brother, Kim Jong-il, was in power.
The Chosun Ilbo reported that Kim Hyon-nam was forced to live in hiding while his brother ruled North Korea. Kim Jong-il apparently feared that Kim Hyon-nam could have built his own power base amongst the factions that jostle for favour in the country and, potentially, been part of an attempt to topple his regime.
Analysts said Kim Hyon-nam`s elevation to a senior position on the foreign ministry may indeed be a case of Kim Jong-un extending a helping hand to a relative. But they add that it may equally be a case of the young and inexperienced North Korean leader keeping him close so he can make sure he does not foment opposition.
"Until earlier this year, Kim Hyon-nam had been an official of the Workers` Party in a provincial town and little was ever heard about him," Toshimitsu Shigemura, a professor at Tokyo`s Waseda University and an authority on the North Korean leadership, told The Telegraph.
"Because he was illegitimate, Kim Hyon-nam was cared for as a child by Jang Song-thaek and his wife, Kim Kyung-hui, so it is very likely that Kim Jong-un has concerns over his reliability", he said.
Jang Song-thaek, Kim Jong-un`s uncle and mentor, was executed in December 2013 after being charged with a raft of crimes against the state, including "gnawing at the unity and cohesion of the party" and "squandering foreign currency at casinos". His wife has been eased into retirement from her political activities.
As an adult, however, the Chosun Ilbo reported that Kim Hyon-nam was forced to live in hiding to escape the clutches of his half-brother.
"I expect Kim Jong-un summoned Kim Hyon-nam back to Pyongyang and gave him a job as he is still relatively weak and feared that other factions might support Kim Hyon-nam," Prof Shigemura said. "It is also possible that China is looking for an alternative North Korean leader and could have thrown their support behind another member of the Kim family."
Kim Hyon-nam`s existence has largely been a secret in the North and South Korean intelligence only learned about this additional branch to the convoluted Kim dynasty family tree from Lee Hyan-yong.
A nephew of Kim Jong-il, Lee defected to South Korea in 1982 but was assassinated near his home in February 1997 by assailants who have never been identified. South Korean intelligence believes Lee was murdered by North Korean agents.
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