The Untold Secrets Behind Kim Jong-Nam’s 2017 Assassination That Shook North Korea’s Power Struggle
Here’s a story that quite frankly sounds like it was ripped from a dark spy novel—except it all went down in the busiest terminal of a Malaysian airport. Kim Jong-nam, once the crown prince of North Korea and eldest son of the enigmatic Kim Jong-il, was suddenly and brazenly taken out in February 2017. You might wonder: how does the would-be heir to a secretive regime end up assassinated on foreign soil, a stone’s throw from innocent travelers? Well, buckle up—because the saga unfolds like a thriller packed with failed Disneyland dreams, international intrigue, and family betrayals straight out of a Shakespearean tragedy. What really pushed Kim Jong-nam from favored lineage to marked man? And who exactly pulled the strings on that fateful day? If you think power struggles stay locked behind palace gates, think again—sometimes, they play out on airport concourses with deadly consequences. LEARN MORE
Once the North Korean heir apparent, Kim Jong-nam was assassinated at a busy airport in Malaysia in February 2017 — presumably on the orders of his younger brother, Kim Jong-un.
JoongAng Sunday/AFP/Getty ImagesMany believed that Kim Jong-nam would succeed his father, Kim Jong-il, before he fell out of favor with the regime.
As the eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-nam was widely believed to be his father’s heir to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). However, his path to power was derailed as he got older. And, in February 2017, Kim Jong-nam was brazenly assassinated as he walked through an airport in Malaysia.
Kim Jong-nam’s fall from grace seemingly began in 2001, after a highly publicized debacle in which he was caught attempting to enter Japan with a Dominican Republic passport. He reportedly said he just wanted to take his family to Tokyo Disneyland, but the whole ordeal proved to be a rather significant embarrassment to the North Korean regime.
Following the incident, Kim Jong-nam effectively lived in exile, primarily in Macau. And, as rumors spread that his father Kim Jong-il had begun to favor his younger half-brother, Kim Jong-un, it seemed that he’d been removed from the line of succession as well.
After Kim Jong-il died in 2011, and Kim Jong-un took power in North Korea, multiple attempts were made on Kim Jong-nam’s life. The final fatal attack came in 2017, when Kim Jong-nam was killed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in a shocking public assassination.
Early Life And Position As Heir Apparent
Born on May 10, 1971 in North Korea, Kim Jong-nam was the first son of Kim Jong-il. He was born out of wedlock — Kim Jong-il had been having a secret affair with Song Hye-rim, a North Korean actress. Because of this, and because of his grandfather Kim Il-sung’s disapproval, much of Kim Jong-nam’s early life was kept secret from the public.
Korean Central News AgencyA photo of Kim Jong-nam with his father, Kim Jong-il, released by the state news agency of North Korea.
Still, it seemed that Kim Jong-nam would likely one day succeed his father as the leader of North Korea. As a child, he attended international schools in Moscow and Geneva, and learned to speak German and French (as well as English). Kim Jong-nam was also exposed to international ideas and enjoyed freedom of movement.
But his return to North Korea in 1988 was difficult. For one, Kim Jong-nam felt trapped living behind the palace gates in Pyongyang. For another, his father had begun a relationship with a dancer named Ko Yong Hui, with whom he’d have three children including Kim Jong-nam’s half-brother Kim Jong-un.
That said, Kim Jong-il still seemed to have plans for his eldest son. Technologically minded, Kim Jong-nam was appointed to the Computer Committee and helped build out the country’s intranet. He also served in the Korean People’s Army and was appointed to a senior position in the Ministry of Public Security. But then everything changed.
In 2001, Kim Jong-nam embarrassed the North Korean regime. His position deteriorated, and any chance he had of taking over for his father vanished.
Kim Jong-Nam’s Fall From Grace
Kim Jong-nam’s fall from grace came in May 2001. According to a Washington Post article from that year, Kim Jong-nam was arrested at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport while traveling with two women and a four-year-old boy, thought to be his son. He had a passport from the Dominican Republic which identified him as Pang Xiong (“Fat Bear”).
Though Kim Jong-nam had entered the country before, this time the Japanese authorities had been tipped off about his arrival. They detained him and Kim Jong-nam eventually admitted to his identity. He said that he brought his family to Japan in order to go to Tokyo Disneyland. Shortly thereafter, he and the others were expelled from Japan.
Although no charges were pressed by the Japanese, the incident was embarrassing for the North Koreans. Not only was Kim Jong-nam’s indulgent choice of destination highly shameful, but he’d also exposed how North Korean elites could travel the world on fake passports.
