Korea: Kim Jong-un's train derails

[John Ashworth]

Sabotage suspected as train laden with gifts for Kim Jong-un derails

Train came off rails near North Korean border with China, reports Seouil radio station

* Reuters in Seoul
* guardian.co.uk, Monday 27 December 2010 16.31 GMT

A train packed with birthday gifts for the North Korean leader in waiting, Kim Jong-un, derailed in a possible act of sabotage this month, a radio station in Seoul which broadcasts across the border, has reported.

Open Radio for North Korea, a non-profit station which often cites sources in the North, said the train, laden with presents including televisions and watches, came off the rails near North Korea's border with China on 11 December.

"The security service has been in an emergency situation because a train departing Sinuiju and headed for Pyongyang derailed on 11 December," the radio station quoted a source in the security service in North Phyongan province as saying. The city of Sinuiju is a trading gateway.

"The tracks and rail beds are so old it is possible there was decay in the wood or nails that secured the tracks could have been dislodged, but the extent of damage to the tracks, and the timing of the incident, points to a chance that someone intentionally damaged the tracks," the source said.

"It's highly likely that it was someone who is opposed to succession to Kim Jong-un."

Little is known about Kim Jong-un, the youngest son of the ailing North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il.

In his mid-20s, he was appointed to key military and government positions this year, suggesting that he is the chosen successor. His birthday is believed to be on 8 January.

His father appears to have lavish tastes. This month, a Viennese court found an Austrian man guilty of selling luxury goods believed to be destined for Kim Jong-il in a yacht deal worth €3.3m (£2.8m)

The deal included several Mercedes-Benz S-class cars and musical instruments including a Steinway grand piano, the court heard.

The sale of luxury goods to North Korea is banned under a UN resolution in response to the country's nuclear testing programme. Kim Jong-il is said to hold opulent receptions at which he displays yachts and other expensive items procured abroad.