The eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has been quoted as saying that reform and open-door policies are the best way to improve the lives of the North Korean people.

The Tokyo Shimbun in its Friday edition quoted Kim Jong-nam as making the remarks during an interview.
Kim said, however, that given the uniqueness of the North Korean situation, the approach could run the risk of resulting in a regime collapse.

He also said that normalizing relations with the U.S. would be a desirable move for North Korea. He then urged measures to ensure peace and restore the economy.

He then called on his younger brother and heir apparent Kim Jong-un to coordinate inter-Korean ties so an incident like the North's shelling of South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island never occurs again.