South Korea’s Foreign Ministry released the newly declassified diplomatic files of 1994 on Friday, and they reveal that major world powers were deeply concerned about North Korean leader Kim Il-sung’s succession plan after his sudden death in 1994, as they doubted the capabilities of his heir, Kim Jong-il.

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The files reveal that one US diplomat even called Kim Jong-il “goofy” while a Russian expert predicted that he would lose control of the country within two years, reports South China Morning Post.
The documents detail how officials worldwide interpreted Kim Il-sung’s demise and assessed his son’s ability to govern.

Former US vice-president Walter Mondale, who was then serving as ambassador to Japan, was quoted in the files as saying: “[Kim Jong-il] seems a bit goofy and childish, and not very good as a leader.”

The files show that experts from Russia also expressed doubts over the younger Kim’s ability to rule North Korea. Notably, Russia was distancing itself from Pyongyang at that time as it navigated post-Communist reforms.
“After about six months of Kim Jong-il’s regime, the military will begin to intervene in politics in earnest,” a Russian scholar who had worked in Pyongyang was quoted as saying in the files.
“At most, Kim Jong-il will only be in power until the end of 1996.”

The documents reveal that a Chinese official said that Beijing had no choice but to support the younger Kim due to the influence of then leader Deng Xiaoping.

Kim Il-sung had personally asked Deng to “look after” his son, and therefore, Beijing could only respect the request as long as Deng was alive, the official explained.

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Kim Il-sung’s death came weeks ahead of what was supposed to be the first inter-Korea Summit, where leaders of North and South were expected to discuss nuclear issues.
Though North Korea officially announced that he died of a heart attack, the files show that some Chinese officials believed the real cause of his death was overwork and stress brought on by nuclear issues and the summit.

The meet was eventually cancelled and the first inter-Korea nuclear summit was held in Pyongyang in 2000.
Despite all the doubts, Kim Jong-il went on to rule North Korea until his death in 2011, though his period was marked by deep economic hardships, international isolation, and the first nuclear weapons test in 2006.

Seoul also released files from 1993, showing how it responded to its designation as a “sensitive country” by Washington. The designation imposed stricter controls on the transfer of nuclear-related technology, reflecting concerns over Seoul’s suspected ambitions to develop its own nuclear weapons.
South Korea was listed as a sensitive country by the US in January 1981 and was removed from the list in July 1994, Aju News reported.
South Korean officials then worked to persuade the US that grouping Seoul with North Korea was “unfair” and harmful to future bilateral scientific and technological cooperation.

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The US Department of Energy once again designated South Korea as a nuclear sensitive country in January, shortly before former president Joe Biden left office. China, Iran, and North Korea are also on Washington’s sensitive countries list. 

The rationale for South Korea’s recent inclusion is suspected to be suspended South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol’s brief imposition of martial law in December amid talk of Seoul potentially developing its own nuclear weapons.