Kim Yong Ju, younger brother of North Korea’s founder, dies

By HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Kim Yong Ju, the younger brother of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, has died, according to state media. He was once regarded as North Korea’s No. 2 official before his nephew was anointed as the next ruler. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the grandson of Kim Il Sung, expressed “deep condolences” over the death and sent a condolence wreath, official media reported Wednesday. During Kim Il Sung’s rule, many experts viewed Kim Yong Ju as the North’s second most powerful official or even his brother’s heir apparent. But he gradually faded from the political scene after Kim Il Sung gave his son Kim Jong Il a key post, paving the way to his rule.