Battle over family lineage seen behind Kim Jong Un brother's murder

PanARMENIAN.Net - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's obsession over the revered bloodline that goes back to his grandfather could explain the apparent assassination of his half brother in Malaysia, Nikkei Asian Review said.

Numerous references to the "Paektu bloodline" can be found in North Korean media. The phrase refers to direct descendants of Kim Il Sung, the nation's founding father who is said to have waged guerrilla warfare against Japanese invaders from Mt. Paektu near the Chinese border.

A growing number of observers contend that Kim Jong Nam was killed because he posed a threat to the legitimacy of his half-brother's regime. "It was because Kim Jong Nam gave out information about Kim Jong Un's mother," a former top official of the Workers' Party said.

Kim Jong Nam is the son of Kim Jong Il -- Kim Il Sung's son and successor -- and actress Song Hye Rim. Kim Jong Il also had three children with Ko Yong Hui, a dancer born in Japan to parents of Korean descent: two sons, Kim Jong Chul and Kim Jong Un, and daughter Kim Yo Jong.

This shared descent from Kim Il Sung was what worried the current North Korean leader. "Kim Jong Un probably constantly feared that his uncle Jang Song Thaek and China would someday oust him and install the eldest son, Kim Jong Nam," said Yun Duk-min, chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in South Korea.

North Korean media also emphasized the "Paektu bloodline" for days after Jang's execution in 2013, signaling their loyalty to the nation's leader. Kim Jong Un, whose birthplace and mother remain unknown to the North Korean public, fears that shedding light on his descent could erode his legitimacy.

There have been no reports of Kim Jong Un visiting the grave built in 2012 in Pyongyang for his mother. The site does not bear Ko's name or the name of its owner, said Thae Yong Ho, a former ambassador to the U.K. who defected last year.

The Thursday edition of South Korea's Dong-a Ilbo newspaper included a piece from a North Korean defector and journalist arguing that Kim Jong Un's mother was in fact Kim Ok, Kim Jong Il's longtime secretary and, reputedly, his fourth wife.

Kim Han Sol, who shares the "Paektu bloodline" as Kim Jong Nam's son, could end up in the North Korean leader's crosshairs as well. Kim Han Sol is reportedly in Macau with his mother and younger sister, guarded by Chinese authorities.