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Kim Jong Un's brother: Regime will fall

China's state television shows footage of Kim Jong-un saluting his father North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il's body during a state funeral in Pyongyang December 28, 2011. China offered its "deep condolences" on the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, which analysts said will spur China's leaders to boost ties with Pyongyang to prevent instability. UPI/Stephen Shaver
China's state television shows footage of Kim Jong-un saluting his father North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il's body during a state funeral in Pyongyang December 28, 2011. China offered its "deep condolences" on the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, which analysts said will spur China's leaders to boost ties with Pyongyang to prevent instability. UPI/Stephen Shaver | License Photo

TOKYO, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- The late Kim Jong Il's oldest son predicts his younger brother's rule in North Korea will be short-lived, a Japanese journalist says.

Yoji Gomi, a reporter for the Tokyo Shimbun, says his upcoming book is based on seven years of e-mail exchanges and interviews with Kim Jong Nam, The Guardian reported. Gomi said he met Kim three times and exchanged e-mails with him for years and that Kim agreed when he suggested turning the e-mail exchange into a book.

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Kim Jong Nam is believed to have been born in 1971 to Song Hye Nim, a North Korean movie star who was Kim Jong Il's longtime mistress. He is not known to have met his younger brother, Kim Jong Un, the son of Kim Jong Il's official wife.

"The Kim Jong Un regime will not last long," Gomi quotes Kim Jong Nam as saying. "Without reforms, North Korea will collapse, and when such changes take place, the regime will collapse. I think we will see valuable time lost as the regime sits idle fretting over whether it should pursue reforms or stick to the present political structure."

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Kim Jong Nam, who is believed to live in Beijing and Macao, described himself as being under the protection of the Chinese government and closely watched by it at the same time.

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