The various antics of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il would be considered quite funny if they were fiction. The man is almost a parody of a dictator, as he makes strange demands, publishes hilariously over-exaggerated propaganda and commits various crimes to indulge his assorted hobbies. The self-proclaimed greatest golfer in the world has kidnapped filmmakers to make movies for him, built a giant hotel which the country now pretends doesn't exist due to it being structurally unsound, and has been generally doing weird things for decades.
Unfortunately for the people of the world, and especially the citizens of North Korea, Jong-il is a real person, in charge of a country with enough military power to be frightening. While the country itself is so secretive that it's unknown what the conditions are for regular people - what little we do see is a specially prepared and completely unbelievable spectacle - at a bare minimum we know of famines and poor living conditions. So, it's of great interest to see what happens next, as Jong-il gets old and begins to groom his successor.
Once upon a time, that successor was oldest son Kim Jong-nam. As one can expect from the endless creativity of the North Korean propaganda machine, Jong-nam was the greatest son in the world and his mother was perfect in every conceivable way. Then, suddenly, he wasn't, a change that happened roughly around the same time he tried to sneak into Japan to go to Disneyland. While basically what one would expect from the always stable and completely sensible Kim family, the incident was an embarrassment and Jong-nam was out.
Interestingly, Jong-nam doesn't think a hereditary succession is a great idea, and wonders if giving control of the country over to youngest brother Kim Jong-un is what's best for his country. This isn't a grab for power either - Jong-nam just wants to rock and roll all night and party every day - but an observation about hereditary succession in general. Perhaps his habit of never actually being in North Korea has given Jong-nam perspective that the rest of his family lacks.
Jong-nam is right, and one of the dangers of hereditary succession could easily come to pass with younger brother Jong-un. The problem is that the kid is in his 20s, and has been sheltered to such a degree that people didn't even know what he looked like until the past week. While suddenly a four star general and a major political power in the country, he is still very young and inexperienced. As his only qualifications for the post amount to having the right dad, he's not being selected on competence or merit. Even if he has been prepared for his role, it's a complete unknown. There are powers around the world who hope that he can be manipulated and controlled, and given that he is being thrust into power, they could succeed.
Jong-il might have been crazy, but he was the crazy everyone knew. His son is an unknown, and even if he's not completely manipulated by someone else in power, the world still does not know what to make of him. A complete power change in a country like North Korea is something that needs to be monitored closely. This could be what makes the country more open and cooperative, but it could also amp up the insanity. It is time to keep a close eye on them.
