Princewill Pius
Journalist Bradley K. Martin reported in his book, Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader: North Korea and the Kim Dynasty, that Kim Jong Il (pictured right) was jealous of the relationship his younger half-brother, Kim Pyong Il (pictured below), had with their father, Kim Il Sung (pictured middle). Martin, who interviewed defectors from North Korea for the work, wrote that “Pyong-il looked like his father, and in the less frenzied atmosphere of the late 1950s” was able to “spend more with him and develop a closer, more affectionate relationship than he managed with Jong Il a decade earlier.”
Kim’s uncle Kim Pyong-il. Strong Paektu bloodline- he’s the son of Kim Il-sung- and worked abroad as a diplomat for 40 years as he was seen as too much of a threat to Jong-il. Now retired back in Pyongyang, could be seen as a way of keeping the family in power. pic.twitter.com/wnjuP4VGb3
— Alistair Coleman (@alistaircoleman) April 25, 2020
As Pyong Il grew older, he was “very extravagant and generous and had lots of followers who flattered him by saying: ‘Long live Kim Pyong-il!” as defector Kang Myong-do told Martin. “You weren’t supposed to say that bout anyone but Kim Il-sung — it’s against the one-man rule system,” he added.
Fearing Pyong Il might threaten his power, Jong Il supposedly spied on him and reported his findings his back to Il Sung, who was “very angry” about the information he received. Il Sung then “fired” Pyong Il, making him an outcast in Pyongyang, as Kang explained to Martin. Pyong Il supposedly asked to be sent abroad after the incident.
Now that Kim Pyong Il is reportedly back in Pyongyang, does this mean he plans to succeed Kim Jong Un? As of this writing, that remains to be seen.
Written by: Nicki
