In late August 2007 reports indicated that Kim Jong-nam, Kim Jong-il’s eldest son, had returned to Pyonyang from semi-exile due to his Disneyland related exploits in Japan, which of course causes succession speculation:

The eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-nam (36) has returned to Pyongyang and is working at the Organization and Guidance Department of North Korea’s Worker’s Party…

Soon thereafter conflicting reports stated that Jong-nam only visited North Korea but continued to live in China.

Now there reports claiming that Kim Jong-chol, the effeminate middle son, has been appointed to the same organization Jong-nam was rumored to be working at in August:

A Japanese newspaper reported yesterday that Dear leader Kim Chong-il appointed his middle son Kim Chong-chol to be a vice chief in Organization and Guidance Bureau of the Korean Workers’ Party organization…

Who will it be? Kim Jong-nam, Jong-chol, or Jong-un? It’s worth noting that since the younger two were in their teens analysts said Jong-un was too young to take leadership – an assessment that aged out of applicability several years ago, since Jong-un is now past the age that Jong-chol had been considered a viable possibility for succession.

The bottom line is that no one outside the North Korean elite knows who will replace Kim Jong-il when the time comes – and they may not know either.