The casino-loving oldest son of North Korea's Kim Jong Il - tipped to succeed him until he was caught trying to sneak into Japan to go to Disneyland - said he opposes the transfer of power to his younger half-brother.
Though his disapproval is not surprising, it is the first public sign of discord in the tightly choreographed succession process, though analysts said Kim Jong Nam has lived outside his native land for so long that his opinion will carry little weight.
Kim, 39, oldest of three brothers who were in the running to take over the secretive North Korean dictatorship, is the closest thing the country has to a playboy.
He travels freely and spends much of his time in China or in that country's special autonomous region of Macau, the centre of Asian gambling with its Las Vegas-style casinos.
He favours newsboy caps, designer shoes and an unshaven face, while frequenting five-star hotels and expensive restaurants.
He told Japan's TV Asahi, in an interview from Beijing aired on Monday and yesterday, that he is "against third-generation succession, but I think there were internal factors. If there were internal factors, [we] should abide by them."
He is believed to have fallen out of favour as the successor after being caught in 2001 trying to enter Japan on a fake passport.
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