Book containing interviews with Kim Jong Ils eldest son to be published
19 January 2012
Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of Kim Jong Il, provides his own frank account of the late North Korean supreme leader, including his fathers reluctance to let any of his sons take power, in a book to hit stores on Jan. 20, an editor in charge at publisher Bungei Shunju Co. said Friday.
IBNA: According to mdn.mainichi.jp, the book by Yoji Gomi, a senior staff writer for the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper, is based on his extensive interviews with Kim Jong Nam and e-mail exchanges between them, the editor said.
In an e-mail in January following Kim Jong Ils funeral on Dec. 28, Kim Jong Nam voiced his opposition to the hereditary transfer of power in reference to his younger brother Kim Jong Uns appointment as new North Korean leader.
Kim Jong Nam is also quoted by Gomi as saying the existing power group will keep holding the reins of power, using the new, young leader as a symbol of North Korea.
In addition, Kim Jong Nam said Kim Jong Il had remarked he would not let any of his sons take power.
Gomi became acquainted with Kim Jong Nam after they happened to meet each other at Beijing Capital International Airport in 2004. Gomi interviewed Kim in Macao and Beijing last year for a total of around seven hours.
Kim recently asked Gomi not to publish his story for now, fearing it would displease Pyongyang, according to the editor.
But Bungei Shunju decided to release it as it is meaningful to deliver Mr. Kim Jong Nams real voice at a time when North Korea is drawing global attention, the editor said.
Number of Visits: 5340
The latest
- The Story of the First Sacred Defense Book Award
- Oral History and Social Resilience in Hard Times
- 100 Questions/ 34
- Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor – 34
- A Review of Scientific and Operational Strategies for Overcoming the Erosion of Narrators’ Memory
- 100 Questions/ 33
- Expert Panel Session on Oral History of the Country – (Part 2)
- Memoirs of Ahmad Nabavi
Most visited
- Oral History News/April–May 2026
- Memoirs of Majid Yousefzadeh
- Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor – 33
- Expert Panel Session on Oral History of the Country – (Part 2)
- 100 Questions/ 33
- Memoirs of Ahmad Nabavi
- A Review of Scientific and Operational Strategies for Overcoming the Erosion of Narrators’ Memory
- Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor – 34
Validation: Challenges and Necessities
Where does truth stand in oral history? How can the correctness of a narrative be recognized? Does fact-checking matter? If there is exaggeration in the reporting of some accounts, how can it be detected? Is it possible to record an event accurately through the recording of a narrative? Readers and users of oral history works are often faced with these questions, and sometimes encounter doubts about some oral history works.From Revolutionary Circles to the Military Arm of the Islamic Government
In those days, it became clear that certain institutions had to be established very quickly—institutions suited to the temperament, expectations, and lingering aspirations of the younger generation; young people who had been politically active before the Revolution and, in some cases, had been directly entangled in arrests, imprisonment, ...Authenticating Oral History: From Possibility to Necessity
The use of oral history as one of the historical sources has long been one of the principal challenges facing oral historians and those who employ it in contemporary historiography. The development of international standards for oral history, as well as IRIB standards, was intended to address the criticisms raised in this regard. The relationship between Diplomatics in written records and oral history is reciprocal.100 Questions/27
What is the place of research ethics in compiling oral history?We asked several researchers and activists in the field of oral history to express their views on oral history questions. The names of each participant are listed at the beginning of their answers, and the text of all answers will be published on this portal by the end of the week.
