Dear Leader Junior Reportedly Detained

The Japanese Kyodo news agency reported Thursday that a man detained for attempting to enter Japan with a fraudulent passport identified himself as the son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

According to an earlier report filed by another Japanese news agency, Jiji, the man was believed to be Kim Jong-nam, Mr. Kim's oldest son. Another media company, NHK, said officials also detained two women in their 30s and a pre-school boy. The four arrived, NHK said, on a Japan Airlines flight from Singapore carrying forged Dominican Republic passports.

The Jiji report said foreign ministry officials briefed Prime Minister Koizumi about the detention, but there was no confirmation from the government of either the detention or the identity of the persons involved.