Assassinated North Korean Kim Jong-nam’s former life as prince of a hermit kingdom in Macau
Before his assassination in 2017, Kim Jong-nam’s opulent life in Macau raised questions about the enclave’s ties with Pyongyang, as shown in this 2007 article by former SCMP writer Greg Torode
Macau has long been one of the few places where the elusive Kim Jong-nam can relax, say those familiar with his movements. His birthplace Pyongyang, as well as frequent travel destinations such as Beijing and Moscow all carry too much political baggage for the eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Geneva, where Kim Jong-nam was educated, is a little straight-laced. He has also reportedly been targeted in assassination plots while travelling in Europe.
‘He likes the fact that Macau is relatively free, open and urban, yet a little out of the way ... he likes the backwater feel of the place; he likes to relax and indulge in simple pleasures,’ said one source in Macau. ‘In Macau, he can live as he has always liked, that is why it is the one place he calls home. He lives well but he has been careful not to create any scenes or trouble ... he wants to stay.’
The colourful but secretive life of Mr Kim, 35, came to light this week, as weeks of research and interviews by the South China Morning Post revealed the unassuming, low-key lifestyle being lived on the doorstep of Hong Kong by the son and possible next ruler of the Stalinist North Korean nation.
A big drinker, Mr Kim has seldom been seen rolling drunk in Macau. Fond of the odd spell at a slot machine, he is not known as a degenerate gambler. His generous belly attests to his love of food. Aware of the physical toll of his night-owl existence, sources who know Mr Kim say he takes to the sauna for hours at a time. With his designer label clutch bags, fashionable glasses and leisure suits, he could pass for one of the increasing numbers of mainland high-rollers now thronging Macau’s high-end hotels.
