‘Goofy': declassified 1994 files show how world powers doubted North Korea's Kim Jong-il
Newly declassified diplomatic files from Seoul have revealed that major world powers were deeply concerned about
North Korean leader Kim Il-sung's succession plan after his sudden death in 1994, with one US diplomat calling his heir Kim Jong-il 'goofy' and a Russian expert predicting he would lose control of the country within two years.
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The documents, released by
South Korea 's Foreign Ministry on Friday, detail how officials worldwide rushed to interpret Kim Il-sung's demise and assess his son's ability to govern.
Walter Mondale, a former US vice-president who was serving as ambassador to Japan at the time, was quoted in the files as saying: '[Kim Jong-il] seems a bit goofy and childish, and not very good as a leader.'
The files show that experts from Russia, which was distancing itself from Pyongyang at the time as it navigated post-Communist reforms, also expressed doubts over the younger Kim's ability to rule North Korea.
North Korea's then-leader Kim Il-sung (L) and his son Kim Jong-il (R) inspecting a soccer ground in Pyongyang in 1992. Photo: AFP
'After about six months of Kim Jong-il's regime, the military will begin to intervene in politics in earnest,' a Russian scholar with experience of working in Pyongyang was quoted as saying.
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