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.
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.